Democratic Party leader Kim Min-seok said on the 24th that the party has established a Grand Unity Promotion Task Force under his direct control, appointing Rep. Park Beom-kye as its head.
In opening remarks at a Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly, Kim said he would visit each political party. "With the main opposition People Power Party, I will build a bridge of dialogue that cannot be severed, and with reform-minded progressive parties, I will build a bridge of alliance toward the future," he said.
He added that the party would set up the Grand Unity Promotion Task Force under his direct control, with Rep. Park Beom-kye as its head, and appoint Jin Sung-joon as chair of the progressive alliance division, Lee Hae-sik to the Rebuilding Korea Party alliance division, and Hwang Myung-son and Lee So-young as chairs. "We will begin a sweeping and rapid all-around alliance, integration and expansion," he said.
Kim also announced follow-up measures to address problems raised during the recent party convention. "To fix problems raised during the convention, such as voting without speeches and surveys conducted without verification, we will soon set up a task force to evaluate the convention and improve convention rules, led mainly by outside figures," he said. "I have already instructed the secretary-general to preserve related materials, including various opinion polls."
He also said the party would form a membership cleanup task force to address dual party membership, ghost members and involuntary enrollments, led by Supreme Council member Park Sun-won, to produce results quickly. "Regarding the convention opinion polls, we will begin a legal review at the party level of the recently criticized conduct of some YouTubers who are expected to have committed obstruction of business through deception and violations of the Political Parties Act, including poll manipulation," he added.
On housing policy, Kim said, "We will pursue a real estate policy that meets the public's expectations through rapid supply, stabilization of the jeonse and monthly-rent markets, and reasonable tax improvements." He said, "The use of the U.S. military base site in Yongsan will be carried out on the basis of citizen consensus, and to promote the rebuilding and redevelopment of aging apartment complexes and districts, we will cooperate with the Seoul city government and move quickly on the necessary legislation." He added, "I hope the Seoul city government also moves beyond talk of speed and cooperates with district offices for swift and smooth redevelopment and rebuilding," and, "On taxes, we will coordinate well with the government while reflecting the public's views."
On the controversy surrounding Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae, Kim said, "An analysis has been raised that Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae's aim is to have the government reject a unilateral plan drawn up without consultation with the president, thereby neutralizing the Supreme Court Justice Nomination Committee itself." He said, "If true, it is a futile scheme."
He said, "The government should hold off on decisions to forward the matter to the National Assembly or to reject it at the court, and the National Assembly should consider amending the legal loophole in Article 41-2 of the Court Organization Act, which requires a nomination committee to be formed each time a Supreme Court justice is recommended, in order to block the scheme." He added, "I ask that this be reviewed within the party." He also said, "The current situation, in which the chief justice plays tricks, the court administration head defends him, and the judiciary stays silent, is cowardly," and, "I urge the judiciary to reflect deeply."
