Lee Jae-myung: "Only Judgment Remains... This General Election is a Battle Against Anti-People Forces"

"Innovative Nomination Meeting Public Expectations"
"Goal for the 22nd General Election is to Become the Leading Party"

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, defined the core of the upcoming general election, which is one month away, as a judgment on the Yoon Seok-yeol administration and announced that he would start the election campaign. He called the Democratic Party's nomination process, which was criticized as 'dying without a sound,' an inevitable process for change and named it an 'innovation nomination.'

Democratic Party of Korea leader Lee Jae-myung is holding a press conference related to the general election at the National Assembly on the 10th. [Image source=Yonhap News]

At a press conference on the afternoon of the 10th, Lee said, "During the two years of the Yoon administration, South Korea has fallen endlessly. The economy is in ruins, people's livelihoods are shattered, peace on the Korean Peninsula is in crisis, and democracy is on the verge of destruction," adding, "There is absolutely no sign of improvement. Now, all that remains is judgment." He continued, "This general election is not a contest between the People Power Party and the Democratic Party, but a battle between the anti-people forces of the People Power Party and the people," and urged, "On the day of judgment, please use the Democratic Party as a tool to judge the anti-people forces and for the people to win."

Lee claimed that the Democratic Party's nomination was an innovation nomination and a process to meet the people's expectations. He said, "The Democratic Party has achieved a nomination revolution through innovation nominations that meet the people's expectations and standards," adding, "Conflicts were inevitable pains in the process of innovation. We will start a do-or-die election campaign toward the day of judgment." Furthermore, he explained, "There were aspects of the nomination process that were misunderstood or appeared as conflicts. It was an inevitable pain for change, and now it has returned to a normal structure. The people will watch not only the process but also the results."

Instead, he criticized the People Power Party's nomination as 'immoral, pro-Japanese, obscene, and far-right nominations.' Lee said, "(The People Power Party's nomination) is an 'immoral nomination' that not only shirks responsibility for government failure but also paves a flower path with nomination certificates for those responsible as parliamentary candidates." He added, "Candidates Seong Il-jong and Jeong Seung-yeon praise Ito Hirobumi and disparage criticism of Japan as an inferiority complex. Nominating such people is truly a 'pro-Japanese nomination.'" Regarding candidate Jang Ye-chan, who was previously embroiled in controversy over 'orgies,' he called it an 'obscene nomination,' and for candidate Do Tae-woo, who was involved in controversy over belittling the May 18 Democratic Movement, he emphasized it as a 'far-right nomination.'

Lee set the realistic goal of becoming the first party in this general election. He said, "We always bow humbly without arrogance and appeal to the people," adding, "I want to say that if the People Power Party is given the first party status or especially a majority, it will lead to tremendous regression of democracy and destruction of people's livelihoods." He revealed that the bigger goal is 151 seats, that is, a majority.