Gominjeong: "Lee Jae-myung Likely to Seek Re-election... Too Risky as Presidential Candidate"

Kang Mingu on "Lee Jaemyung as the Father of the Democratic Party"
Gominjeong: "Anything in Excess Causes Discomfort"

Ko Min-jung, a Supreme Council member of the Democratic Party of Korea, expressed on the 20th that while she sees a high possibility of Lee Jae-myung running for re-election as party leader, she believes the risks as a presidential candidate are significant.

Ko Min-jung, Supreme Council Member of the Democratic Party of Korea. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

In an interview with MBC Radio’s ‘Kim Jong-bae’s Focus’ on the morning of the same day, Ko said about Lee’s prospects for re-election, “I think he will.” When asked about the necessity of Lee’s re-election, she replied, “I think it doesn’t make much difference to the Democratic Party who becomes the party leader,” adding, “However, from the perspective of Lee Jae-myung as a presidential candidate, it might be a choice that carries too many risks.”

Ko referred to the precedent when former Prime Minister Lee Nak-yeon, who was once a leading presidential candidate, served as party leader, saying, “At that time, I opposed Lee Nak-yeon’s candidacy,” and added, “One should set the goal on the presidency, not on the party leadership.” She continued, “In the end, Lee Nak-yeon took the party leadership and had no choice but to bear all those risks, and I am concerned that this might happen again,” pointing out, “Therefore, there needs to be a separation between the presidential and party leadership roles.”

Furthermore, she said, “From the perspective of a single party member, it doesn’t matter whether Lee Jae-myung or someone else becomes the next party leader, but since we have to fight against the enormous power of Yoon Seok-youl right now, it is better for the party to have a strong leader. So, there is no one like Lee,” but she also noted, “From the perspective of someone who will run for president, there is some question as to whether Lee Jae-myung is the best choice.”

Regarding the controversy caused by newly appointed Supreme Council member Kang Min-gu’s remark at the Supreme Council meeting the day before that “Lee Jae-myung is the father of the Democratic Party,” Ko evaluated, “In politics, when emotions are excessive, it causes discomfort in acceptance, and this was a representative example.”