‘I will treat you as my parents and brothers’

Prime minister-nominee Kim Tae-ho on Saturday said he would treat people as if they were members of his own family once he were to be confirmed to assume the senior post, Yonhap news agency said.

“I will humble myself. I will listen to the voice from the public. I will treat all people as if they are my parents and brothers,” Kim said in a meeting for a retiring ceremony for one of his college professors from his alma mater, Seoul National University.

He also said: “With the same attitude, I will deal with the inter-Korean relations, the general gap, and inter-regional issues.”

His remarks were made as he was preparing for a hearing at the National Assembly to vet his qualifications for the post.

The emphasis on the family values is a common, if not over-utilized, sales line used by bidders for a political post in South Korea, which is a very Confucian society.

It’s not clear how Kim’s comment will play a role in his political bid.