Democratic Party leader Kim Min-seok said on the 15th that his earlier remark comparing the current political climate to the run-up to former President Roh Moo-hyun's impeachment was meant to convey that "the lesson is that the forces that attempted a pointless impeachment were ruined." He stressed that "this time there are no legal flaws, nor any political or moral flaws, so I was trying to say that if there are forces thinking of destabilizing the president, they will be ruined."
Kim made the comments while appearing on the Democratic Party's official YouTube channel, Minjoo Party TV, saying, "You could say it was careless of me to bring up impeachment for no reason." He added, "But the essence is that I am not the one who destabilized this government. The people saying such things are the ones destabilizing the support base by engaging in excessive criticism, irrational attacks and talk of the core base."
The move was an attempt to contain the fallout after his remarks the previous day drew reactions even within the ruling party that they were "excessive," with Kim arguing that his comments had been interpreted far beyond their intent.
Kim pushed back strongly against criticism from Cho Kuk, head of the Rebuilding Korea Party's innovation policy institute, who said, "If it comes to this, the notion of 'impeaching Lee Jae-myung' ends up being circulated," and asked, "Do you not know 'Don't Think of an Elephant'?" — a reference to the effect in which mentioning a concept in order to negate it makes people recall it more strongly. Kim said, "I think it is meaningless and excessive, and in fact destabilization disguised as concern," adding, "It struck me as rather needless worry."
Kim said, "The government and the president hold their current positions with confidence, four years remain in the term, and the direction of state affairs has been set." He argued, "Support has only wavered temporarily and is undergoing an adjustment because of the results of the June 13 local elections, which stemmed from confusion between the party and the presidential office." He stressed, "The direction of state affairs is right and there have been results. But there is overwhelming demand to reform and reflect on that, to now move in a more humble, livelihood-centered direction, and to expand practical measures for people's livelihoods."
Kim also took aim at independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon through social media on the same day. He wrote, "I thought he was different from Yoon Suk-yeol, but he turned out to be a half-brother of the same bloodline," adding, "I had a little hope that he might become a positive alternative for conservative politics after Yoon Suk-yeol, but 'maybe' turned out to be 'as expected.'"
He continued, "Like the boss, his older brother, who shouted about 'crushing anti-state forces' and then ran amok with martial law, he has been reborn as the younger brother who, out of a passionate inferiority complex about 'crushing the democratization generation,' ran amok with a verbal martial law of 'pulling out the teeth' of 'nonsense,'" adding, "Must the alternative for a directionless conservatism be found elsewhere?" On Han's remark that he would "pull out all the teeth," Kim said, "That is a dentist's job, not a lawmaker's job," adding, "If it is not meant to intimidate, no help is needed." He also wrote, "The 'nitpicking Dong-hoon' who answered interpellations as a minister was better; 'foul-mouthed Dong-hoon' looks to have a short shelf life."
At the same time, while maintaining his position of pursuing expulsion or suspension of qualifications for lawmaker Lee Jin-sook, who is at the center of controversy over disparaging the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement, Kim said, "Since the lawmaker must face judgment under the law anyway, I recommend that she hold off on responses that will appear emotional and comply faithfully with the related legal summonses."
