Park Chan-dae Opposes Chung Cheong-rae's "I Will Fight, President Should Only Work" Claim: "We Must Work Together"

Park Chan-dae Counters Chung Cheong-rae's "President Should Only Work" Claim
"If a Path Is Needed, Create One; Enact a Special Prosecutor Law"
Expresses Regret Over Rejection of Schedule Postponement

Park Chan-dae, a candidate for leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, said on July 19, "If you want the president to work, the party leader must also work together." In response to Chung Cheong-rae, another candidate for party leader, who argued, "I will fight, so the president should just focus on working," Park said, "Although I like candidate Chung, I disagree with this statement."

At a joint debate for the Chungcheong region held at the Democratic Party headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, Park stated, "If the National Assembly is paralyzed, the president cannot work either. The party leader who will accompany President Lee Jae-myung in his first year must be different." He added, "First, second, and third, the leader must be competent. If a path is needed, we must create one, and if a special prosecutor is needed, we must enact a special prosecutor law."

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He emphasized, "Park Chan-dae's reforms have already begun." Park said, "The current three special prosecutor bills, including the special prosecutor for the Chae Hae-byeong case, were initiatives I promoted as floor leader. I proposed the Special Act on Ending Insurrection with signatures from 115 lawmakers. I also gathered over 120 signatures for a request for a parliamentary investigation into Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae, Judge Ji Gui-yeon, and Board of Audit and Inspection Chairman Choi Jae-hae, who are subordinates of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration." He added, "As a tool for the people, Park Chan-dae will continue to carry out his duties faithfully."

Regarding the nationwide flood disaster that occurred in the Chungcheong region and elsewhere, Park called for the suspension of the party convention schedule. However, the party leadership decided to proceed with a scaled-down online event instead of suspending the schedule. On this, he said, "There is no politics that comes before the lives of the people. At a time like this, what should the ruling party do?" He continued, "I respectfully requested the leadership to postpone the election schedule until the heavy rain stops and the extent of the damage can be assessed, but my request was not accepted." He added, "I am concerned that we may not be keeping pace with President Lee Jae-myung's swift instructions and his strong demands for disaster recovery. Nevertheless, I will respect the leadership's decision."

Park highlighted his role as floor leader during the impeachment process of former President Yoon Suk-yeol and his efforts to help Lee Jae-myung become president. He said, "No one has served as long, as closely, or as devotedly as I have in protecting President Lee Jae-myung." He continued, "After the defeat in the 2022 presidential election, I was the first to call for Lee Jae-myung to run in Gyeyang." He also said, "During the last presidential election, amid threats of terror against candidate Lee Jae-myung, I stood in the square, ready to take the knife and arrows in his place. That single-minded determination has brought me this far."