[DPK Convention Interview] Lim Miae: "A Victorious Democratic Party Is Only Possible When We Embrace Yeongnam"

Assemblywoman Lim Miae Runs for Supreme Council
"Leadership Must Be Able to Drive Future Agendas"
Proposes Establishment of Permanent Body for Political Reform

"I believe that making the long-held dream of becoming a 'truly national party' a reality is the only way for the Democratic Party of Korea to prevail."

Lim Miae, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea vying for the Supreme Council at the August 17 party convention, explained her reason for running in an interview with The Asia Business Daily on July 21.

Achieving national reach has long been a dream of the Democratic Party of Korea. Lim stated, "Former President Kim Dae-jung spoke of the policy of expanding eastwards. Former President Roh Moo-hyun spoke of overcoming regionalism. Since then, the Democratic Party has championed the idea of a 'national party.' During President Lee Jaemyung's tenure as party leader, the 'Committee for a National Party' was established. That dream has always belonged to the Democratic Party of Korea."

Lim continued, "If the party leadership continues as it has so far, the Lee Jaemyung administration in 2028 will lose momentum for governance, the general election will end in disaster, and hopes of regaining power will be bleak. That's why there was a strong sense of crisis. We must form a leadership team aimed at victory." As a way to build a winning Democratic Party, she emphasized, "The leadership must consist of people who can proactively address and deliver on future agendas."

Lim Miae, a lawmaker running for the Supreme Council member of the Democratic Party of Korea, is being interviewed by The Asia Business Daily at the National Assembly. 2026.7.21 Photo by Kim Hyunmin

The following is a Q&A with Assemblywoman Lim.

-Why Lim Miae?

▲I have been elected three times—both at the basic and metropolitan level—in Yeongnam, a region that has never been friendly to the Democratic Party of Korea, since 2006 as a constituency representative. I have taken on challenges that no one else has dared. I ran for governor of North Gyeongsang Province and gained my seat in the National Assembly as a proportional representative after passing the primary among Daegu and North Gyeongsang party members. More than anyone else, I understand what issues to communicate, and how, with Yeongnam voters. If the Democratic Party of Korea wants to become a truly national party, someone like me must be on the leadership team. Yeongnam issues, especially those of Daegu and North Gyeongsang, have never been addressed inside the Democratic Party. Unless we overcome that limitation, victory will remain out of reach. The Democratic Party can only win when it includes Yeongnam.

-What legislative agendas or goals do you have in mind?

▲I believe the President's strategy of region-led growth must be a success. The regional growth driven in the southwest must succeed for even Yeongnam to shift expectations toward the Lee Jaemyung government. I intend to take the lead in resolving legislation concerning the semiconductor cluster in the southwest. As a politician from Yeongnam, I will address the necessary tasks for success in the southwest first. Such results can persuade both Honam and Yeongnam voters. On political reform, I propose establishing a permanent dedicated body to realize ongoing political reform. This would allow for legal improvements, reform of the electoral system, party law reform, and communication with civil society—all under a specialized organization.

-Why emphasize political reform?

▲I believe that the Democratic Party of Korea should not waste its energy fighting the People Power Party. If the People Power Party, now fragmented and dysfunctional, is regarded as our main opponent, the Democratic Party of Korea has no future. The real challenge for the Democratic Party is not the People Power Party, but the future of the Republic of Korea. The President speaks of an 'irreplaceable Korea;' in the same way, we need an 'irreplaceable Democratic Party.' Part of that is political reform. The Democratic Party has always struggled in the TK region (Daegu and North Gyeongsang). This time, we failed to elect even a single head of a local government or metropolitan councilor there. But things are different now from 20 years ago. There are citizens in those regions who voted for us even though they knew we would lose. The 580,000 votes earned by former candidate Kim Boo-kyum in Daegu were unprecedented for the Democratic Party. Now is the time to consider how the Democratic Party can capture these sentiments through political reform, including a reformed electoral system. That, I believe, is the path to becoming an irreplaceable Democratic Party.

Im Miae, a lawmaker running for the top committee member of the Democratic Party of Korea, is being interviewed by The Asia Business Daily at the National Assembly. July 21, 2026. Photo by Hyunmin Kim

-You previously remarked that 'the Democratic Party lost' in the local elections. What did you mean?

▲By saying 'lost,' I was not simply referring to a reduction in the number of seats. There were many elections that we lost. If, even in defeat, party members become more united and build greater pride in the Democratic Party of Korea, then there are still gains to be made. That is how growth happens. The reason I say we were defeated in the recent local elections is that the party became fractured, not united. Supporters exchanged insults and derogatory names during conflicts, and there was no crisis management for these issues. I have criticized former leader Jung Chungrae because he was responsible at the time. Why should someone responsible act as though they are a victim? If the party goes down that path, it will lose its way. The public sees the Democratic Party of Korea as a strong force. On its own, the party holds a majority of seats in the National Assembly; counting allied groups, that number exceeds 180. I believe the disappointing results in the last local elections were due to suspicions and concerns among voters such as, 'Aren’t you acting arbitrarily with your political power?'

-You said you want the party to showcase its competence as a national party. What does that mean?

▲Voters I meet in Daegu and North Gyeongsang think the Lee Jaemyung government is highly competent. But that competence has not translated into real support for the Democratic Party. It is crucial that the government's competence becomes the Democratic Party's competence, and that this leads to greater support. Just two years ago, the Yoon Suk-yeol government was grappling with a 23 trillion won tax shortfall, but within a year, we are talking about surplus tax revenue. If the Democratic Party uses this surplus for sweeping social and structural reforms, as well as policies for the younger generation, even Yeongnam voters will feel less anxious about supporting us.

-You have emphasized deliberative democracy.

▲While President Lee was the party leader, he always took time to listen to experts, party members, and the public before expressing his own opinions. I believe this is the essence of deliberative democracy. The problems revealed in relation to the Criminal Procedure Act were largely the result of the leadership’s decisions. It is necessary to structurally and continuously develop spaces and platforms within the party where members can have in-person discussions on key issues. Even now, the Democratic Party includes both generations who find online communication awkward and those who find it natural. In the future, we will enter a time when full communication and discussion are possible. At a minimum, the Democratic Party of Korea must build the necessary systems for this.

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