Demand for Personnel Renewal "A Conclusion Will Be Reached Soon"
Interview on BBS Radio 'Jeon Young-shin's Morning Journal'
Kim Nam-guk, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, responded to calls for the resignation of Lee Jae-myung, the party leader, saying, "In recent polls, the Democratic Party is showing higher numbers than the People Power Party," and added, "In this situation, stepping down from the leadership position is not appropriate."
On the 23rd, Kim appeared on BBS Radio's 'Jeon Young-shin's Morning Journal' and referred to precedents of party leader resignations, stating, "There has never been a case where someone was told to step down unconditionally without objective circumstances."
Kim explained, "Looking at past precedents, there have only been three cases where a party leader stepped down: when approval ratings did not exceed 20% making it impossible to contest elections, when the party suffered a crushing defeat in elections and the leader and leadership took responsibility and resigned, and when the leader stepped down to run in a presidential election."
Regarding the 'orderly resignation theory' raised by some, he said, "The idea of an orderly resignation is mentioned with the expectation that the Democratic Party's approval ratings will plummet after autumn and that elections cannot be held, but discussing that now is inappropriate," adding, "The Democratic Party needs to perform well now."
He also criticized, "The Yoon Seok-yeol administration tells us to control inflation but fails to do so, instead only suppressing the opposition and targeting Lee Jae-myung," and said, "The people are appealing for the government to take care of their livelihoods, but the government is only focused on securing positions for close aides and consolidating power." He continued, "I believe it is important for the Democratic Party to fulfill its role as the opposition," and added, "It is crucial for the opposition to take care of people's livelihoods and to proactively address agendas such as raising the insurance payout limits for depositors, which was discussed this week."
Regarding the opposition's demand for a comprehensive personnel overhaul, Kim said, "Leader Lee is likely contemplating whether to pursue innovation or integration, and how to make the party more trusted by the public." He predicted that Lee would reach a conclusion soon.
Kim stated, "I do not think reform means just changing a few positions," but added, "Many within the party are requesting that more Democratic Party positions be opened up." He continued, "When new figures come in, the organization itself can become more energized, so we can seriously consider personnel reform," and said, "However, the extent and scope of reform, and who will be appointed, will likely be decided not by the party leader alone but through balanced consultation with the party leadership and various members."
Meanwhile, on the afternoon of the 22nd, the Democratic Party held a party affairs committee meeting and judged the prosecution of Lee as 'unjust political oppression.' According to Article 80 of the Democratic Party's constitution, if a party official is indicted on charges related to bribery or illegal political funds, their duties can be suspended, but if it is judged to be due to unjust reasons such as political oppression, a different decision can be made through a party affairs committee resolution. Accordingly, Lee has been able to maintain his position as party leader even after being brought to trial over allegations related to preferential development in Wirye and Daejang-dong and donations to Seongnam FC.
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