Kim Dong-yeon: "Lee Jae-myung Promised 'Term Reduction Amendment' 3 Years Ago... Must Keep It Even If It Means Sacrifice"

Kim Dong-yeon: "Agreed on Power Structure Reform in Last Presidential Election"
"Unified Approach Needed for Regime Change"

Kim Dong-yeon, governor of Gyeonggi Province and a potential presidential candidate from the opposition, stated on the 24th that "he will strongly discuss shortening the next president's term during a meeting with Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, on the 28th." Kim appeared on JTBC's 'Oh Dae-young Live' that day and said, "Three years ago, during the presidential election, I allied with candidate Lee and agreed on five points, signing an agreement. The first was constitutional amendment including restructuring the power system, and we promised to shorten the presidential term."

Kim Dong-yeon, Governor of Gyeonggi Province. Photo by Kim Hyun-min

Kim said, "(In 2022) we talked about shortening the term by one year to align the local elections with the presidential election, but to align the next general election and presidential election in 2028, the presidential term should be shortened by two years to ensure stable governance. I intend to clearly discuss fulfilling that promise then." He added, "The current constitution does not apply to a president elected under a constitutional amendment, so if the general and presidential elections are aligned, that president cannot run in the next election. Even if it requires sacrifice, the term must be shortened."

Recently, Lee set the party's identity as 'centrist conservative,' which has sparked criticism within the opposition. Regarding this, Kim said, "I believe capable progressivism is the Democratic Party's identity. It is a party that values people, and its identity must remain unwavering." He continued, "While centrist expansion may be necessary ahead of elections, we must protect our core values." He also said, "The root of the Democratic Party's crisis is trust," adding, "As a competent ruling party, we must show trust to the people, find our place, and adopt a pragmatic and centrist expansion strategy."

Regarding claims from Lee's supporters that since Kim benefited from Lee's support in the last gubernatorial election, he should help Lee in the presidential election, Kim responded, "I won dramatically by a margin of 0.15 percentage points. Out of 31 cities and counties in Gyeonggi Province (mayoral and county head elections), I lost in 22, but I won then." He added, "I believe I built the Democratic Party's foundation and current base. I think I earned the votes and owe a debt to the residents."

Earlier, writer Yoo Si-min appeared on the YouTube channel 'Maebulsyo' on the 5th and said, "Kim Dong-yeon, governor of Gyeonggi Province, is just someone who got elected governor by attaching himself to Lee Jae-myung." He evaluated, "Lee's supporters were very upset about the presidential election defeat and pushed Kim Dong-yeon hard, barely winning." He also criticized, "(Kim) talking about judicial risks is an act of ingratitude."

Kim viewed Lee's recent series of meetings with non-Lee (anti-Lee Jae-myung) faction members within the party positively, saying, "To achieve regime change, we must embrace diverse voices rather than a single voice or one-pole system. I believe a unification approach is necessary." Regarding alliances with the anti-Lee faction, he said, "Rather than an alliance, it is entirely possible to have dialogue and share intentions to achieve proper regime change and build a new Korea." He added, "If impeachment becomes a foregone conclusion, I will clearly state the role I will play," but noted, "It is too early to talk about this before the presidential election."