"Early Presidential Election Victory Strategy is Unity and Coalition"
"Spirit of May 18 Should Be Included in Constitutional Amendment"
On Presidential Bid: "For Now, Focus is on Overcoming Impeachment"
Former Gyeongnam Governor Kim Kyungsoo (left) is talking with Shinan County Governor Park Wuryang at the Imja Second Bridge in Shinan, Jeonnam, on the morning of the 23rd. Photo by Yonhap News
Kim Kyungsoo, the former governor of Gyeongnam and a potential presidential candidate from the non-mainstream faction of the Democratic Party of Korea, commented on the 23rd regarding Representative Lee Jaemyung's decision to set the party's identity as centrist-conservative, saying, "I see it as an intention to embrace a broader range of the public in the wake of the impeachment and presidential election process."
After visiting Imja 2 Bridge in Sinan County, Jeonnam on this day, Kim told reporters, "After hearing Representative Lee's explanation, I understood it as an intention to embrace centrist and conservative groups at a time when the People Power Party is moving toward the far right."
Previously, on the 19th, Kim had expressed a critical stance on the debate over the Democratic Party's identity, but on this day, he evaluated Lee's remarks positively.
Kim explained, "Since the days of former presidents Kim Daejung and Roh Moo-hyun, the Democratic Party has valued progressive ideals as a party for the middle class and the common people," adding, "On top of that, it has established itself as a democratic reform party that also embraces centrists and conservatives." He continued, "Representative Lee did not say he was abandoning the Democratic Party's progressive values. That aligns with my own thinking."
Kim emphasized, "The strategy for winning the presidential election is unity and coalition," adding, "We must unite the Democratic Party and have the opposition and pro-democracy forces join hands." Regarding whether he would run for president, he said, "If it helps achieve a change of government, I will play a role," but avoided giving a specific answer.
Regarding constitutional amendment, he asserted, "If there is a discussion on constitutional revision after the impeachment, the spirit of May 18 Gwangju should be included in the preamble of the Constitution."
Kim will visit the Honam region for three days from the 23rd to the 25th. On the 24th, he plans to pay respects at the National May 18 Democratic Cemetery and meet with Gwangju Mayor Kang Gijeong. He will then visit Ok Hyeonjin, the Catholic Archbishop of Gwangju, and meet with the bereaved families of the Jeju Air passenger plane accident.
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