Kim Minseok Declares Restoration of Party-Presidential Office Relations: "Communicating as a Unified Team Without Barriers"

Received congratulatory orchids from Chief Secretary Kang Hunsik as first official event
High-level party-government meeting scheduled for August 23 as an introduction
Kang Hunsik: "I expect the Democratic Party to become even more unified"

Kim Minseok, the newly appointed leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, announced on August 18 that the collaborative relationship between the party and the presidential office would be restored. Unlike the usual tradition of visiting the national cemetery the day after being elected, Kim began his official schedule by communicating with the presidential office, including Chief Presidential Secretary Kang Hunsik.

That day, Kim entered the party leader's office together with Chief Secretary Kang. He said, "This is my first time entering the party leader's office as the leader," and added, "It is especially meaningful and significant that my first official event is a ceremony receiving orchids from Chief Secretary Kang and Hong Ikpyo, Presidential Secretary for Political Affairs, on behalf of the President." Kim also expressed his thoughts, stating, "I feel a sense of anticipation and responsibility that a complete and communicative 'one team' will be achieved between the party and the presidential office, without any walls."

Yonhap News Agency

Contrary to the norm where a visit to the national cemetery is the first official schedule for a new party leader, Kim chose a courtesy call with Chief Secretary Kang and others as his first event. Regarding this, Kim explained, "Unusually, I received the President's orchids earlier than the ceremony at the national cemetery. Since both former and incumbent presidents are scheduled to visit or pay respects at the cemetery after my visit, I thought that if I waited two days, it would be too late, so although it may have been inconvenient, I made adjustments to come here earlier." This alone demonstrates how determined Kim is to restore the previously strained relationship between the party and the presidential office.

The Presidential Office also demonstrated respect regarding Kim's election by having Chief Secretary Kang personally deliver congratulatory orchids. Kang explained, "The customary practice is for the Presidential Secretary for Political Affairs to deliver orchids to the new party leader, but both for the previous leader and now for the new one, I have personally delivered the congratulatory orchids as Chief Secretary," adding, "That is how important it is for the party and the presidential office to operate as a true 'one team' between the party and the government." Kang further said, "With the energy and passion from the recent national party convention, I expect that under the leadership of Kim Minseok, the Democratic Party will become an even more solid unified party. The party and the government should work together to deliver tangible results that the public can feel by closely watching over the public's livelihood and developing new growth engines for South Korea’s future."

Before the meeting was closed to the press, Kim greeted Chief Secretary Kang, Senior Secretary Hong, and Presidential Political Secretary Jeong Eulho with personal embraces.

Kim Minseok, the newly appointed leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is writing in the guestbook after paying respects at the Memorial Tower with the new leadership at the National Seoul Memorial Cemetery in Dongjak-gu, Seoul on August 18, 2026. Photo by Hyunmin Kim

On this day, the party and government also finalized the schedule for a high-level policy meeting. The party and the presidential office have agreed to hold the high-level meeting at 11:00 a.m. on August 23. After the closed-door conversation, Park Sungjoon, chief spokesperson for the Democratic Party, said, "Since this was an introduction, there was no specific discussion of details," but added, "Any pending issues will be addressed."

Kim, after visiting the National Cemetery earlier in the day, also attended the memorial ceremony marking the 17th anniversary of former President Kim Dae-jung's passing. After paying respects at the cemetery, Kim left a message in the guestbook stating, "The Democratic Party will become the engine of a golden era for South Korea." He is also scheduled to visit the graves of key figures of the Provisional Government at Hyochang Park in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, and the National May 18th Cemetery in Gwangju Metropolitan City.

Kim Minseok, the newly appointed leader of the Democratic Party, is writing in the guestbook after paying respects at the Seoul National Cemetery Memorial Tower in Dongjak-gu, Seoul, along with the new leadership on August 18, 2026. Photo by Kim Hyunmin

Earlier, in his acceptance speech as party leader the previous day, Kim stated, "The relationship between the party and the presidential office, and between the party and the government, will become a creatively horizontal, fully collaborative relationship that supports the President and the government, who are at the core of state administration," adding, "We will debate, give candid advice, defend when necessary, and serve as a channel for public opinion."

The previous day, Kim won the party leader election at the national convention held at Daejeon Convention Center, defeating rival candidate Jeong Cheongrae with a final vote share of 54.08% to 45.92%. As he did not secure a majority in the first round, he was elected as leader after a runoff via ranked-choice voting. Immediately after his victory, instead of giving an inaugural interview, Kim visited flood-affected areas in Geoje, South Gyeongsang Province, which had been hit by heavy rain, to inspect the damage.

However, the circumstances he faces are far from easy. The approval rating of President Lee Jaemyung, which had been high, began to decline after the June 3 local elections. With public sentiment having turned sour over real estate policy and other issues, the party must tackle tough challenges such as tax law revisions. The immediate task ahead is the legislative by-election for Gangneung next April. Furthermore, depending on the court case involving Seoul Mayor Oh Sehoon, there is even the possibility of a mayoral by-election being held in Seoul. Kim has already pledged to seek reconfirmation of his leadership if that occurs. Completing the prosecutorial reform pursued by the previous leadership is another challenge. In addition, the internal divisions within the party, which were so fierce they lasted until the runoff, must also be addressed.

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