Former Prime Minister Kim Min-seok officially declared his bid for the leadership of the Democratic Party of Korea on Saturday. In launching his candidacy, Kim shifted into an aggressive offensive mode, directly targeting his rival, former party leader Chung Cheong-rae, with the charge that he had "thrown the party into confusion through self-serving politics."
Kim made the announcement at Jeonil Building 245 in Dong-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City, saying, "I declare my candidacy for Democratic Party leader on the basis of an infinite sense of responsibility for the success of the Lee Jae-myung administration's governance." He said, "Perfect party-government alignment and a livelihood-integration line are the only proven essential elements under a democratic government." He added, "The late President Kim Dae-jung, who taught me politics; the late President Roh Moo-hyun, who opened the door to my return, saying candidate unification was a reasonable act of loyalty; President Moon Jae-in, who restored the Democratic Party banner I had protected; and President Lee Jae-myung, who made me a partner in governance — I will carry on their spirit and history."
Kim took aim at the previous Chung Cheong-rae leadership, saying, "The top priority for the success of the Lee Jae-myung administration is to first achieve reform of the Democratic Party, the ruling party, but over the past year the Democratic Party failed to connect support for President Lee and the government to party support and election results."
He then raised the intensity of his offensive, saying, "Over the past year, the harm of 'self-serving politics' has thrown the party into confusion." He continued, "As things stand, success in governance, victory in the general election, and party unity are all difficult. The lack of deliberation, lack of debate, procedural deficiencies, and lack of consistency shown in pursuing a party merger, discussions on prosecution reform, and nomination and election strategies have created many problems." He added, "My candidacy for party leader is the product of a heavy sense of responsibility, prepared for fierce intra-party debate for the party's future."
Kim pledged, "I will clean up personal relationships with other factions and add a sweeping grand unity plan," and promised, "I will open an era of stronger, genuine member sovereignty." He also said, "I have organized my consistent argument for abolishing supplementary investigation authority into the government's position, and on that basis I will continue to pursue prosecution reform and judicial reform tasks," adding, "I will also pursue media reform at a higher level." Along with these, he set out as campaign pledges: an AI Democratic Party system incorporating a deliberative democracy system; a large-scale recruitment of fresh talent; the introduction of youth policy platforms such as a cross-ministerial youth ministers' meeting; and innovation in party culture and dignity.
Kim expressed his resolve, saying, "I will reorganize the policy capabilities of the Democratic Research Institute and the policy committee, support creative policy development, and bring about comprehensive reform of the election management committee," and, "Above all, I will create a ruling party worthy of the name."
After the press conference, Kim met with reporters and said, "The Jeonil Building (where the candidacy was declared) is a place that symbolizes both the May 18 Democratization Movement and the future," adding, "It embodies the history of democracy while also carrying an image of cultural dignity and innovation." Of the National Assembly, where he was to hold a second candidacy press conference in Seoul in the afternoon, he also gave it meaning, saying, "It is the base that stopped the insurrection and the place that must support the Lee Jae-myung administration's mega-project governance."
On his primary strategy, he stressed, "There is nothing in particular to call a strategy. I will disclose things as they are, engage in head-on debate, and focus on the most important question of 'how to support the success of the Lee Jae-myung administration,'" adding, "Debating, deliberating, and resolving things head-on is the Democratic Party way and the Kim Min-seok way."
Asked about the many complaints raised in the Gwangju and South Jeolla region regarding the June 3 local election nominations led by former leader Chung, he said, "During this nomination process, there were parts that raised doubts about consistency and principle not only in the Honam region but here and there," and, "After the party convention, I will establish a framework for systematic and comprehensive debate and innovation on nominations from a long-term perspective."
Regarding the Honam semiconductor investment plans by Samsung Electronics and SK hynix being carried out in Gwangju and South Jeolla as part of a mega-project, he expressed his resolve, saying, "If I become party leader, my top task will be to work with the government to fully and safely support the issue of locally led growth and the great regional transformation," adding, "I have set four important tasks, and the first among them is supporting the mega-project."
