Kim Min-seok: "Bundang, an Unacceptable Situation... Need to Reduce Conflict and Aim for Harmony"

"Declaration of Candidacy Before Jeondae Rule Confirmation... Lee Jae-myung's Decision Is a Matter of Personal Judgment"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Chae-eun] On the 29th, Kim Min-seok, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, stated, "I believe that the rules or issues with other candidates are not the fundamental problems, so I am planning to organize my thoughts well and make an official declaration before the party convention rules are finalized." Regarding the possibility of a party split, he said, "That is absolutely out of the question," adding, "There is a need to reduce conflicts and aim for harmony."

In an interview on KBS Radio's 'Choi Kyung-young's Strong Current Affairs' that morning, Kim said, "I heard that the party convention rules will be finalized around July 15 or 17." He added, "I intend to organize the spirit of the times and the pressing issues. Of course, it should include the content that the Democratic Party must unite, work well for the country and the people, and prepare for the general election two years from now." He also said, "Politics is ultimately about capability; age is just a number, the real issue is ability."

When asked, "If Representative Lee Jae-myung runs, is there a possibility of a party split?" he responded, "That absolutely should not happen," and said, "It should not come to that, so fundamentally, what is needed now is a kind of transformation toward reducing conflicts and aiming for harmony."

Regarding Lee Jae-myung's candidacy, Kim said, "Lee Jae-myung contacted me, and we had a brief, pleasant talk. As I mentioned then, it is a matter of his own decision." He added, "However, since he was a presidential candidate and the overall election manager in the local elections, he needs to evaluate himself accordingly. This is a premise regardless of whether he runs or not." He also remarked, "In fact, Representative Lee is like the BTS of our Democratic Party," and said, "But BTS recently paused for a while and suggested taking time to mature. If you think about it carefully, it is a very great decision."