The Democratic Party of Korea said it will move faster to build a "one team" alignment among the party, the government and the presidential office, with President Lee Jae-myung at the center. The push is seen as an effort to tighten cohesion within the governing bloc as criticism of Lee's reform direction mounts from parts of the progressive camp, including writer Yoo Si-min.
Park Sung-joon, the party's chief spokesperson, told a briefing at the National Assembly on the 27th about public sentiment gathered over the Chuseok holiday that "party members and supporters of the ruling party told us to become a strong ruling party, with the party, the government and the presidential office united around the president." Park said supporters voiced considerable concern about recent approval ratings, adding that "there were requests that the ruling party take the initiative in the political arena and deliver effective policies that the public can feel."
The party called in particular for restraint in criticism of Lee from within the progressive camp, throwing its weight behind the "one team" message. "Those offering harsh words sometimes go a bit too far," Park said. "Excessive remarks that shake the entire camp are a case of too much of a good thing." The comments were seen as a rebuttal to Yoo, who recently said Lee's plan for prosecution reform differed from the party's previous position and from his presidential campaign pledge, and charged that "the president has been deceiving the public all along."
The party also moved to defend Lee, saying the direction of prosecution reform itself has not changed. "The most important thing is that the president's true intent on prosecution reform must not be distorted," Park said. "The Democratic Party and President Lee have firmly upheld the core principle of prosecution reform — the complete separation of investigative and indictment powers — from before the presidential election to this very moment."
The party said it will pursue six livelihood priorities, including easing housing cost burdens through steps such as an expanded tax credit for monthly rent. Given the level of concern over housing policy and taxation reflected in holiday sentiment, the party said it will concentrate its legislative efforts on lowering housing costs in ways the public can feel. On housing policy, Park said "there was considerable concern about tax issues," adding that "the party, the government and the presidential office will give full consideration to the public's worries about property taxation."
The party has framed the current regular session of the National Assembly as a "policy session focused entirely on livelihood issues," with plans to ease essential living costs through measures such as an expanded monthly rent tax credit; expand opportunities for young adults to build assets and prepare for the future; strengthen the soundness of capital markets; revitalize small and medium-sized enterprises, small business owners and regional economies; protect national and corporate interests; and bolster public safety and national security.
In particular, the party plans to expand the monthly rent tax credit and strengthen housing support tailored to different life stages, lowering housing costs for young adults and for low- and middle-income households that do not own a home. "Headline economic indicators have improved a great deal, but household finances as the public experiences them are still far from easy," said Kwon Chil-seung, chair of the party's policy committee. "We will work harder to ensure the economic recovery reaches people's lives."
