Kim Ki-hyun and Lee Jae-myung Face Retirement Speculation Five Months Before General Election

Kim Ki-hyun Demands Sacrifice from Innovation Committee
Lee Jae-myung Must Make Decision Amid Defection Rumors from Bimyeong Faction

The ruling and opposition party leaderships, who will oversee next year's general election in about five months, are facing calls for 'voluntary retirement.' Kim Gi-hyeon, leader of the People Power Party, is being urged by the party's Innovation Committee, which emphasizes 'sacrifice,' to declare either running in a difficult district or not running at all, while Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is being pressured by the anti-Lee faction within the party to make a 'decision' through threats of defection.

According to political circles on the 8th, Kim Gi-hyeon is strongly rumored to not run in next year's general election. Yoo Sang-beom, a lawmaker who served as chief spokesperson for Kim's first leadership team, said in an MBC radio interview, "In conversations with us (close aides), he himself mentioned that he has achieved all the great honors a member of the National Assembly can have," and predicted, "He will now sufficiently consider this from the perspective of the party and national development." It is expected that Kim will not run in Ulsan, a stronghold of the People Power Party, in the next general election.

Kim Ki-hyun, the leader of the People Power Party, is speaking at the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the 2nd. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

Earlier, Innovation Committee Chairman In Yo-han proposed the second innovation plan, which includes ▲reducing the number of lawmakers by 10% ▲completely giving up parliamentary immunity ▲cutting and revoking salaries ▲excluding the bottom 20% of evaluated incumbent lawmakers from party nominations, along with recommending in a suggestive manner that senior lawmakers including the leadership and pro-Yoon faction lawmakers close to President Yoon Seok-yeol declare non-candidacy or run in difficult districts. The party leadership, including Kim, has remained silent about their future positions. A People Power Party official said, "The party's Supreme Council intends to discuss the innovation plan once it is submitted," adding, "The key point is whether the Innovation Committee will request the Supreme Council to consider proposals (such as sacrifices by the leadership) that have not been approved yet, but we do not know yet." However, the official added, "There is a reason why it has not been approved," and "This needs to be resolved on a different level."

It is uncertain whether the second innovation plan will be submitted to the Supreme Council on the 9th. In fact, Chairman In said in a KBS radio interview regarding Kim's future, "Let's give him some time," and "Let's wait a bit." He explained that if the sacrifice is forced, neither the party nor individual politicians can shine, so time must be given.

The situation in the Democratic Party is even more complicated. With the court rejecting the arrest warrant and a landslide victory in the Seoul Gangseo District Office election, Lee's status has become more solidified. However, internal unease remains due to the party's approval ratings.

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is speaking at the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the 6th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

Especially with the possibility of a third-party emergence such as Lee Jun-seok's new party, the centripetal force outside the party is growing, and the possibility of defections by anti-Lee faction lawmakers is being openly discussed. In the past, anti-Lee lawmakers dismissed the idea of defection, but their stance has shifted to acknowledging the possibility.

As the People Power Party's innovation discussions gain momentum, the Democratic Party inevitably faces increasing pressure to undertake strong reforms. Democratic Party lawmaker Lee Won-wook argued in a BBS radio interview that "Leader Lee must decide to run in a difficult district, and there must be decisions from Secretary-General Jo Jeong-sik and lawmakers Ahn Min-seok (both 5-term), Woo Won-shik, and Jeong Seong-ho (both 4-term)." He criticized, "Leader Lee always seeks comfortable and warm places. That cannot be the basis for party unity." While advocating for change in the Democratic Party, he also said, "Politics can never be 100%, right? So, there may be lawmakers who can make (defection or other) decisions."

Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Jong-min lamented on KBS radio, "The party leader defends judicial (risks), the party has become a money-envelope party, and it shields lawmakers involved in coin controversies, becoming a completely hypocritical party," adding, "The party's morality and democracy are weak, so the Democratic Party's vision is not conveyed to the public." He particularly pointed out protests by party members and YouTubers in front of local offices targeting anti-Lee faction lawmakers, including street broadcasts, and said, "This could be the most unfair nomination in the history of the Democratic Party."

Besides the anti-Lee faction's calls for innovation, the Democratic Party cannot avoid the reform task of voluntary retirement for the 386 generation. Additionally, established politicians such as former Justice Ministers Cho Kuk and Choo Mi-ae, and former National Intelligence Service Director Park Jie-won are weighing their candidacies for the general election. Leader Lee must make decisions on these issues, and voices in political circles say that in this decision-making process, Lee himself will inevitably be asked for 'sacrifice.'