'97 Group' Kang Hoon-sik Runs for Party Leader... "I Will Open a New Era for the Democratic Party with Useful Politics"

By-election 'Responsible Nomination' Criticized
Abilities Highlighted Include Conflict Resolution and Political Judgment

Kang Hoon-sik, Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jun-yi] Kang Hoon-sik, a two-term member of the Democratic Party of Korea, officially declared his candidacy for the party leader election at the party convention on August 28. Reflecting on the reasons for losing public support before and after the presidential election, he stated, "I will open a new era for the Democratic Party with fundamentals, common sense, and useful politics."

At a National Assembly press conference on the 3rd, Kang said, "Although I am from the 1970s generation often mentioned these days, I am not here simply for generational change. I stand here to restore the broken fundamentals and common sense within us, to show the people what useful politics is, and thereby to create a Democratic Party that excites the heart once again."

Born in 1973 and a two-term lawmaker, he is classified within the party as part of the '97 Group.' Recently, among the 97 Group, Kang Byung-won and Park Yong-jin have officially declared their candidacies.

Kang reflected, "Despite the necessity of prosecutorial reform, we made the mistake of rushing it without properly explaining it to the public," adding, "The people judged the contradiction of the Democratic Party, which prioritized the middle class and ordinary citizens, at the ballot box."

He also said, "We neglected the concerns of the younger generation struggling against uncertainty, unfairness, and inequality," and "Regarding the abolition of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, the worst form of hatred and division, we first calculated the pros and cons in terms of votes."

Kang stated, "I will build a useful Democratic Party that changes the lives of the people," and "I will set clear agendas and communicate in ways suited to the changed times to practically solve life’s problems."

He continued, "I will create a Democratic Party that stands proudly before supporters and the public," and "I will boldly discard promises that cannot be kept and uphold the principles and values of the Democratic Party regardless of gains and losses."

Furthermore, he declared, "I will prepare the Democratic Party’s future for the next ten years through the reorganization of progressivism," and promised to present new progressive values.

After the press conference, when asked by reporters about his statement on boldly discarding promises that cannot be kept, he referred to the party’s 'responsible nomination' during the by-elections, where the party initially decided not to field candidates but eventually did. He argued, "The opposing party has no moral standards, but our party was judged and disappointed based on those moral standards. Since the opposing party does not do it, if we fail under high moral standards, we must boldly abolish such practices."

Regarding criticism from some quarters asking, "What did you do during the 'complete prosecution reform'?" he responded, "I believe the majority of lawmakers and regional committee members who remained silent did so not out of cowardice but because team play as a whole was important," and added, "Please see today’s declaration as a reflection, as I held several party positions and worried that public statements might be exploited by the opposing party’s strategy."

On the abilities required of a party leader, he listed three: "The ability to overcome gender, regional, and generational conflicts at the national level," "Political and strategic judgment to lead a 170-seat opposition," and "The capacity to lead future innovation."