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We are just one day away now from the official launch of a new political party here in Korea.
The New Politics Alliance for Democracy,... which will hold an inauguration ceremony Wednesday,...
was the main topic of conversation at a policy debate forum at the National Assembly this
morning. Our political correspondent Ji Myung-kil has
more. The coalition party that will be led by Democratic Party leader Kim Han-gil and
independent lawmaker Ahn Cheol-soo aims to bring about an era of new politics.
But "What is New Politics?" That was the very title of a policy debate
forum at the National Assembly on Tuesday morning.
Supporters of the newly-formed New Politics Alliance for Democracy, or NPAD,... joined
with academics and lawmakers to discuss the future of the political landscape in Korea.
Professor Park Myung-lim of Yonsei University said "new politics" must start with breaking
old political practices. He said the NPAD needs to embrace the ideologies
of rational conservatives and introspective progressives.
Experts at the forum said the new party should pursue a democratic market economy that promotes
fair competition between large conglomerates and small firms.
They said a priority should also be placed on building a fair welfare state that helps
the people. Professor Moon Jin-young from Sogang University
asked that the government make greater efforts to ensure there are no blind spots in the
current welfare system. He referred to a recent case in the country
where a family of three committed suicide together because of financial hardships.
Pundits urged the government to keep President Park Geun-hye's welfare promises... that include
providing a monthly allowance of some 185 U.S. dollars to all senior citizens over the
age of 65. The participants also voiced a need to prepare
a for peaceful reunification of the two Koreas while also keeping an emphasis on national
security and denuclearizing the North. Ji Myung-kil, Arirang News.