"75% of Reelected Lawmakers Say 'Responsible Members Should Not Run'... Must Listen to Lawmakers"
"If You Refuse to Listen, Can You Use Leadership Even If You Become Party Leader?"
[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Ju-yeon] On the 1st, Kang Byung-won, a member of the 97 Group (born in the 1970s, university class of the 1990s) who announced his candidacy for the Democratic Party of Korea's party leader election in August, directly criticized the leading party leader candidate Lee Jae-myung, saying, "'Isn't everyone responsible for the election defeat?' is like blaming soldiers for a war defeat. It is right for the commander and generals to take responsibility."
Amid growing calls within the party for "responsible figures to refrain from running," this is interpreted as criticism of the pro-Lee Jae-myung faction, which is defending Lee's candidacy by saying, "The election defeat is not the fault of a specific individual but everyone's responsibility." Lee was at the center of the blame for election defeats as the Democratic Party's presidential candidate in the last presidential election and as the general election campaign committee chairman in the June local elections.
Kang Byung-won, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, is answering reporters' questions after finishing his press conference for the party leader candidacy at the National Assembly Communication Hall on the 29th. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@
On the same day, Kang appeared on KBS Radio's "Choi Kyung-young's Strong Current Affairs" and said, "The logic of 'everyone is responsible, so don't ask and everyone should run (for party leader)' is the logic of the survival of the fittest," emphasizing, "Advocating generational change means reflecting not only on the defeats in the recent presidential and local elections but also on the long-standing problems of the Democratic Party and the mistakes made during the five years of the Moon Jae-in administration."
He then questioned, "If those responsible for the election defeat come out again saying they will change the party, will the public trust them?" and added, "Rather, when such people step down, people will think 'the party is trying to change.'" He continued, "By opening opportunities to generations relatively free from responsibility, the party's change and innovation will begin."
Furthermore, Kang made pointed remarks targeting Lee, saying, "Those who want to become party leaders should listen carefully to the opinions of many lawmakers."
He explained, "Out of 48 second-term lawmakers, 35 said, 'Those responsible should not run and should open opportunities for the younger generation to innovate and unify.' It is really difficult politically to unite 75%, or three-quarters, on this point," adding, "Even first-term lawmakers share this view, and many expressed this opinion at the lawmakers' workshop."
Kang also fired a direct shot, saying, "If those who want to become leaders do not listen to or reject the opinions of so many lawmakers, can they exercise leadership if they become party leader? Can they properly lead the party?" He then added, "Isn't there a fear of what will happen if we lose again in the general election?"
Kang said, "To become a competent party, we are preparing political reform, nomination reform, and innovation plans," reflecting, "Even with the 'complete removal of prosecution's investigative authority' (Geomsu Wanbak), many within the party raised issues about how to control the police's expanded powers, and we may have pushed it too hastily."
He said, "In the process of pushing this, we broke the democratic norms established in the National Assembly ourselves, received public criticism, and then witnessed the party's approval ratings drop by more than 10% continuously," adding, "When pushing policies that sharply divide the ruling and opposition parties and split public opinion, we need to think carefully about how to proceed."
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