After Lee Sang-min's Party Withdrawal... 19 Including Democratic Daejeon City and District Council Members Also Leave Party

Jo Won-hwi and Lee Geum-seon, Daejeon City Council Members, Announce Party Withdrawal
"Same Intent as Lee Sang-min... Will Uphold Political Integrity"

Recently, following Representative Sangmin Lee's departure from the Democratic Party of Korea, a collective resignation of city and district council members from his constituency in Daejeon has continued.

On the 6th, Daejeon City Council members Wonhui Jo and Geumseon Lee, Yuseong District Council members Jaeman Song and Myeongsuk Lee, along with 15 party committee operating members, declared their resignation from the Democratic Party.

They held a press conference at the Daejeon City Council on the same day, stating, "We wish to share the same intention as Representative Sangmin Lee (regarding the resignation)," and "We humbly express our gratitude and apologies to the party members and supporters who have given us their support and encouragement."

On the morning of the 6th, at the Daejeon City Council in Dunsan-dong, Seo-gu, Daejeon, Councilor Jo Won-hwi and others joined the actions of Assemblyman Lee Sang-min and declared their departure from the Democratic Party of Korea. [Image source=Yonhap News]

They continued, "We will maintain political integrity and act together with Representative Sangmin Lee going forward," adding, "We will take a little more time to observe the situation before announcing specific actions."

They also added, "It has not yet been decided whether we will form a new force or join the People Power Party," and "Not all 15 members resigning share the same thoughts."

Representative Lee, who belongs to the anti-Lee Jae-myung faction, defined the Democratic Party as "Lee Jae-myung's private party" and "Gaeddal Party," and resigned on the 3rd. Now an independent, he wishes to join the People Power Party.

Following his resignation, criticism poured in within the Democratic Party. Jang Kyung-tae, a Supreme Council member, said in an SBS radio interview, "If it is called the privatization of the party by hardline members, then isn't the People Power Party the private party of President Yoon Seok-youl?" He criticized, "In such a situation, Representative Lee has neither justification for resignation nor for joining the People Power Party."