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Kim Seong-tae: U.S. Leaders Are Not Naive
Former People Power Party lawmaker Kim Seong-tae said he felt “truly devastated” after Jang Dong-hyuk, the party leader, returned from an 8-night, 10-day trip to the United States and a mocking comparison chart likening him to “Neukgu,” the wolf that escaped from Daejeon O-World, circulated online.
On April 22, Kim told SBS Radio’s “Kim Taehyun’s Political Show” that he was astonished by the chart comparing the main opposition leader to the escaped wolf from early April.
Kim criticized Jang’s 8-night, 10-day U.S. itinerary, saying, “The People Power Party’s situation is dire: the sun has set, the road ahead is long, and families at home are crying out because they can’t even provide meals for their children.” He added, “We expected the party leader to go to the U.S. and come back having earned money to buy rice, but he returned empty-handed.” His remarks suggested the trip yielded little concrete result.
He also rejected the notion that Jang’s visit was aimed at improving the party’s prospects in the upcoming local elections. “If Trump were to strike Iran and trigger a war, prices and oil would surge immediately,” Kim said. “People want to know when inflation and fuel costs will stabilize and when daily life will return to normal. In South Korea, post-ideological concerns resonate more with voters today. Yet from Jang’s perspective, he went to the U.S. focused on ideological issues.”
Kim questioned Jang’s refusal to disclose whom he met or what was discussed, citing diplomatic and security reasons. “When I visited the U.S. as floor leader, I met with leaders of both the Senate and House and with many key American figures,” he said. “Those officials aren’t naive enough to hand over national-security matters to an opposition leader.”
He added, “With only about 40 days until the local elections, if there is information that can win over voters, the leader of the main opposition should not hide it—he should disclose it. And if there was nothing of substance, he should say so.”
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