Yang Kidae: "The Democratic Party Must Change Alongside the President" [AK Radio]

Woo Sangho, Senior Presidential Secretary, Meets with "Choilhoe" for Dinner
"Pro-Lee, Anti-Lee, and Non-Lee Factions No Longer Matter"
"Bold Appointments Needed for Effective Governance"

Woo Sangho, Senior Presidential Secretary for Political Affairs, had a dinner meeting on the evening of June 26 with "Choilhoe," a group of former members of the Bimyeong faction. During the two-and-a-half-hour dinner, Woo said, "Let us join forces and work for the success of the Lee Jaemyung administration," while Choilhoe members requested, "Please walk the path of unity and harmony." Asia Economy's current affairs YouTube channel, "AK Radio," conducted a phone interview with Yang Kidae, the secretary of Choilhoe and former member of the National Assembly, on June 27.

How have you been?

I am currently teaching at a university and studying topics such as AI, while planning for the future.

What was the background for the dinner between Woo Sangho and Choilhoe?

About ten days ago, Woo Sangho suggested that he would like to have dinner with the former members of Choilhoe. I asked the members for their opinions, and since everyone was in favor, we arranged the meeting.

Yang Kidae, former member of the National Assembly and secretary of "Choilhoe," a group of former members of the Bimyeong faction, said, "The Democratic Party also needs change in line with the president's political management." Photo by Heo Younghan

How many people attended?

Out of 16 Choilhoe members, 10 attended. Park Kwangon, former floor leader, and Park Yongjin, former lawmaker, could not attend due to prior commitments. The 10 attendees, including Shin Donggeun, Kang Byungwon, Jeon Chunseok, Kim Cheolmin, and Yoon Youngchan, had an open and honest conversation for two and a half hours.

It seems the atmosphere was good.

Most members are personally close to Woo Sangho. The Choilhoe members are people who experienced difficulties during the last general election. Everyone opened up and spoke candidly, as it was meaningful to communicate with the president, even indirectly through the Senior Secretary for Political Affairs. We conveyed many thoughts that had been on our minds.

What were the main topics discussed?

Overall, we expressed that President Lee Jaemyung has been building public trust by focusing on personnel appointments and on-the-ground listening and communication. We also shared the opinion that the president has addressed public concerns by responding flexibly to issues such as the suspension of plans to increase the number of Supreme Court justices and the matter of universal relief payments. Additionally, given the current state of social unrest and the division between conservatives and progressives, we asked the president to take more sincere and bold actions toward national unity and reconciliation.

We also conveyed that the Democratic Party should change in line with the president's governance. The party must decisively move away from hardline positions and the behavior of certain lawmakers that causes public disapproval. There were many opinions that the Democratic Party should demonstrate a new attitude to support the president's will to be flexible and actively respond to public sentiment.

What did Woo Sangho say?

Woo said that since the president is willing to accept people like Lee Inki, a former lawmaker from the conservative camp, and Song Miryeong, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, there is no reason why he cannot achieve unity with people from the Democratic Party. He emphasized that the president's intention is to recognize differences, solve economic and livelihood issues, and bring together anyone willing to contribute. He also said that such opportunities for communication would be arranged more frequently in the future.

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The initial appointments of the Lee Jaemyung administration are nearing completion.

Overall, there has been an effort to appoint the right people to the right positions. The administration must focus more on the economy and people's livelihoods. Now, the distinctions of pro-Lee, anti-Lee, or non-Lee factions are no longer meaningful. The president must govern with the entire nation in mind, so it is right to boldly select and appoint those who are necessary, competent, and have a sense of duty for the country and the people. Regardless of faction, if someone is needed for the president's governance and for the country and the people, I hope such individuals will continue to be appointed boldly.

What are Choilhoe's future plans?

We hold monthly meetings. Taking the recent dinner with Woo Sangho as an opportunity, we plan to further consider and prepare alternatives for what role we should play in the future.