Pro-LJY Faction Blocks 'Lee Jae-myung Resignation Talk'... "Do We Elect Party Leader Once a Month?"

Amid calls for the resignation of Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, mainly from the non-Lee faction, Kim Young-jin, the party leader's political coordination chief, dismissed the resignation demands, saying, "If we judge every issue with 'resign first, then everything else,' we would have to elect a party leader every month." Pro-Lee lawmaker Ahn Min-seok also raised his voice, calling the resignation calls "unreasonable."

On the 8th, Kim said on SBS's 'Kim Tae-hyun's Political Show,' "If President Yoon Seok-yeol makes a mistake, such as with the Fukushima contaminated water issue, does he immediately resign? He does not," expressing this view.

Kim Young-jin, Acting Floor Leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is attending the floor strategy meeting held at the National Assembly on the 13th and delivering opening remarks. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

Earlier, regarding Lee's statement that he would "take unlimited responsibility" for the resignation of Innovation Committee Chair Lee Rae-kyung, the non-Lee faction argued that "resignation is unlimited responsibility." However, Kim dismissed this, saying resignation should not be the automatic conclusion.

In response to the host's question, "Are you comparing the president and the party leader on the same level?" Kim said, "They both have fixed terms. Because they have the same term, I see (the statement about taking unlimited responsibility) as a strong whip to do well in the process and to prepare thoroughly. I believe it is necessary to prepare well."

Although Lee said he would take "unlimited responsibility," Kim implied there would be no change in Lee's position, such as resignation. When asked if there were plans to express regret or apologize, Kim said, "Yesterday's statement about responsibility was more than regret; it was a higher-level reflection and expression of regret. Responsibility, as you said, might immediately be interpreted as resignation, but the statement itself involved reflecting on and judging the parts that were not done well through regret, procedures, and processes."

On the same day, lawmaker Ahn said on YTN's 'News King with Park Ji-hoon,' "Internal calls for the leader's resignation at every opportunity are unreasonable," quoting supporters and adding, "Even if we unite tightly now, it might not be enough."

He said, "In my view, politics and elections are not lost due to strong external enemies but due to internal divisions and fractures. Currently, the prosecution-led government is aiming at the Democratic Party's division," adding, "A senior lawmaker has been continuously appearing in the media with a very strong tone, saying that the Innovation Committee Chair caused this mess and that the party leader should take responsibility and resign. I cannot agree with that."