"Can You Win an Election by Saying 'Those People Are Bad'?... Kim Minseok Criticizes the Democratic Party's Direction Over the Past Year"

"Democratic Party Must Undergo Sweeping Innovation"
Local Election Results Left President Lee Unable to Hide His Emotions

Kim Minseok, a lawmaker widely considered a leading contender for the leadership of the Democratic Party of Korea, said on July 3, "When the ruling party talks only about elections and simply says, 'Those people are bad,' you can't win an election with just that." He strongly criticized the direction of the ruling Democratic Party as shown over the past year of the Lee Jaemyung administration and in the June 3 local elections.

Appearing on CBS Radio's 'Park Sungtae's News Show' that day, Assemblyman Kim remarked, "People often joke about us being the 'ruling opposition party,' but is that really acceptable?" He added, "The Democratic Party needs to create something inspiring, present a new agenda that the entire nation should pursue, and change its attitude, expressions, and demeanor in communicating with the public and with rival political forces."

Regarding President Lee Jaemyung's statement that "the ruling party's passion should be directed not toward its own camp but toward the entire people," Assemblyman Kim said, "The party must undergo a sweeping innovation." He continued, "We must keep striving to become a governing party that supports a government led by the president for all, and what the people delivered through the election was a certain assessment of the results. After days of reflection, the president even became the first among all ruling figures to apologize to the public, saying he couldn't hide his feelings. This shows the necessity for change within the party."

Former Prime Minister Kim Minseok, mentioned as a frontrunner for the leadership of the Democratic Party of Korea, is speaking at a meeting held on the 2nd during his visit to SK hynix 4 Campus in Cheongju, Chungbuk. Photo by Yonhap News

He also addressed the party's approach to relations with the opposition. "What I have tried to uphold in the National Assembly is to answer opposition lawmakers' questions in principle during things like interpellations, to make clear distinctions, but to put in the effort to be as non-confrontational as possible," he said. "The ruling party should be able to set and lead the direction, but also maintain efforts and a stance that minimize conflict with the opposition."

He expressed regret about the current state of relations between the party and the government as well. "When the president and political affairs team discuss something, there should be a sense of speed and full integration in how the administration and the National Assembly implement policies and legislation, but that has been lacking," he said. Referring to the response to the recent shortage of ballot papers, he added, "Frankly, the party should have responded more proactively. Since the party is at the center of politics, it would be better to have a greater sense of urgency, speed, and responsibility."

As for the new direction the Democratic Party should take in the future, Assemblyman Kim pointed to youth, culture, and dignity as key themes. "In addition to our traditional agenda as a policy party and a party rooted in member sovereignty, I believe the most important keywords for our path forward as a ruling party are youth, culture, and dignity," he said. "I have my own ideas about each of these directions, and I plan to discuss and help shape them going forward."

On the issue of prosecutorial reform and supplementary investigative powers, Assemblyman Kim said, "This was a matter we agreed to resolve early, before May, in order to avoid further unproductive debate. There are already accumulated concerns and solutions raised from various sides, so we can selectively draw from them as needed."

Regarding his candidacy for party leader, Assemblyman Kim said, "I think I'll be able to make a definite announcement soon," declining to elaborate further.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.