"Words That Divide Us Are Uncomfortable"
"We Must Unite Stronger Especially in Times Like This"
Ko Min-jung, a Supreme Council member of the Democratic Party of Korea, said, "I am pro-Moon (pro-Moon Jae-in) and also pro-Myeong (pro-Lee Jae-myung), and I am both a Gaeddal and a Subak." 'Gaeddal' refers to the strong support base of Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the Democratic Party, while 'Subak' is a slang term for the faction that criticizes Lee. It is interpreted as expressing concern over the recent intensifying internal division within the Democratic Party regarding whether one is pro-Myeong or not.
On the afternoon of the 14th, Ko appeared on 'YTN The News' and said, "I am uncomfortable with the term Subak, and also with the term Gaeddal," adding, "because these words are increasingly being used to divide each other."
She said, "Externally, there will be efforts to create divisions no matter what, but our party members and lawmakers need to unite more strongly at times like this," and added, "I believe that the People Power Party has much more potential for division than our party. Going forward, each party will compete to see who can maintain a more cohesive formation."
In an interview with SBS Radio the day before, Ko said regarding Lee's position, "It will be decided around late summer to early autumn before the general election," which drew criticism from Lee's supporters.
In response, Ko explained, "To be precise, I never said that Lee's resignation would be decided at that time," and added, "There are various opinions inside and outside the party about Lee's resignation, but discussing it now is meaningless; for now, we need to fight unitedly around the party leader."
However, she elaborated, "Before the general election, around autumn, there will come a time to draw a big picture, and inevitably a time to make some decisions. (This part) was omitted from the report," she added.
She then argued that the party needing a full overhaul is not the Democratic Party but the People Power Party. When Park Hyung-soo, a People Power Party lawmaker who appeared on the broadcast with her, pointed out that the Democratic Party's approval rating is stagnant due to Lee's legal risks, Ko countered, "The Democratic Party's approval rating is higher than that of the People Power Party."
She continued, "The People Power Party is the ruling party and in the early stages of governance. Usually, the ruling party's approval rating in the early stages is naturally higher than that of the opposition," and added, "Nevertheless, if the People Power Party's approval rating is only at that level, then it is the People Power Party that should be talking about a full overhaul."
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