'Return to Party Duties' Lee Jae-myung... First Statement: "Yoon Government Cabinet Resignation"

Lee Jae-myung "Complete Overhaul of Yoon Seok-yeol Government's National Policy"
On Disciplining Pro-Approval Faction: "No Arguments, Call for Unity"
"National Governance Is No Joke"

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, who had entered an indefinite hunger strike demanding a reform of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, returned to party affairs on the 23rd and urged "the total resignation of the government cabinet" as his first statement. Regarding the demands for disciplinary action from hardline supporters over the Democratic Party's dissenting votes during the parliamentary vote on the arrest motion against Lee last month, he called for unity, saying, "I hope there will be no more disputes over the handling of the arrest motion."

At the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly that morning, Lee said, "President Yoon Suk-yeol must completely reform the government's policy direction," adding, "The cabinet, which has become a symbol of incompetence and violent behavior, must resign en masse."

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is speaking at the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the 23rd. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

He continued, "The livelihood of the people is being threatened due to the incompetence and irresponsibility of the government and ruling party," emphasizing, "The government budget submitted this time must be thoroughly reviewed from scratch, and through consultations and discussions between the ruling and opposition parties, the budget should be reconsidered to fully support the economy and people's livelihoods, especially for the majority of citizens who feel their survival is at risk."

Regarding the government's announced plan to expand medical school quotas, he expressed welcome, saying, "I commend it." However, he criticized the lack of specificity about how many medical students will be added, stating, "There were media reports about increasing the quota by 1,000 students annually, but the numbers have kept changing, and recently, even that has disappeared," adding, "State affairs are not a joke."

Lee emphasized six times that government policies such as economic recovery, budget review, and medical school quota expansion "must not end in words but must be implemented."

He also urged, "To prevent the collapse of the Republic of Korea's system and regression to the past due to government oppression, there must be a judgment in the general election that reprimands the government's mistakes," and added, "For that, the Democratic Party must overcome minor differences and unite and consolidate." Especially regarding the turmoil following the passage of the arrest motion against Lee, he said, "I hope there will be no more disputes over the handling process of the arrest motion," and called for unity, saying, "The lives of the people are desperate. Our reality is not such that we can afford to exhaust our capabilities and spend time on such issues."