Assemblyman Sangmin Lee: "Lee's Retention of Leadership? Hasty and Frantic"

"Article 80 of the Party Constitution Was Established for Party Innovation"
Calls for Swift Decision on 'Lee Jae-myung's Position'

Lee Sang-min, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, said on the 24th regarding Lee Jae-myung's decision to remain as party leader, "As the leader of the ruling party with 169 seats, he should have maintained the dignity and attitude befitting his position, but he repeatedly made unreasonable decisions," adding, "It is not a principle but an exception, and maintaining the position of party leader in this way is not very refreshing."

On the same day, Lee appeared on KBS Radio's 'Choi Kyung-young's Strongest Current Affairs' and said, "It seemed like he was rushing in a panic, and although formal procedures were followed, that does not guarantee legitimacy," and added, "As a member of the Democratic Party, I felt ashamed."

Lee said, "I am not sure if this is the attitude that the Democratic Party, which values democracy and human rights as the highest values and should have moral legitimacy, should hold," and evaluated, "From the perspective of the public's standards, it probably does not feel very satisfactory."

Lee viewed the judicial allegations against Lee Jae-myung as excessive 'targeted investigations' by the prosecution. However, he also said, "It is true that there have been judicial allegations requiring truth verification for a long time," and pointed out, "It is a matter to be judged by evidence and legal principles, but is it appropriate to hastily (decide to maintain the leadership) under the guise of prosecution oppression or political oppression?"

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is speaking at the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the 22nd. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

He then explained the background of Article 80 of the party constitution, which was the basis for Lee's decision to remain as party leader, saying, "When former President Moon Jae-in was party leader, he made a public promise as part of the party's innovation plan to uphold the basic spirit that people involved in various controversies should not hold party positions, and this clause was established to maintain that spirit." He added, "It is difficult to agree with the application of this clause, which should be applied exceptionally, very cautiously, and narrowly, to allow Lee to maintain his position as party leader with confidence."

Lee believed that Lee Jae-myung should clarify his innocence regarding the judicial allegations as soon as possible and settle his personal matters. He pointed out, "Because of Lee's own judicial risks, the party is overshadowed by a huge cloud and a negative image," and said, "Although the party should be fully focused on people's livelihoods, there is a self-contradictory aspect of being fully focused on the party leader issue." He added, "The party must quickly establish a follow-up system to fully focus on people's livelihoods and prepare for the parliamentary session. This is not something that can be done overnight, so it is not a matter to be dragged out."

Recently, there have been divided opinions within the Democratic Party regarding former President Moon's message and its interpretation. Former National Intelligence Service Director Park Ji-won said on the 10th that when he met former President Moon at his residence in Yangsan, Gyeongnam, Moon said, "Isn't there no alternative other than Lee Jae-myung now? The Democratic Party must unite and do well," conveying this meaning.

Lee responded to this by saying, "Is it reasonable for a public party to have no alternatives? If the party is entirely dependent on Lee Jae-myung, then it is a one-man party."