Prime Minister Kim Mentioned as Potential Candidate
for Both Seoul Mayor and Democratic Party Leader
Prime Minister Kim Minseok denied rumors on November 5 regarding his potential candidacy for the next Seoul mayoral election, stating, "That will not happen."
On the 5th, Prime Minister Kim Minseok (left) appeared on the YouTube channel 'Kim Eo-jun's Humility Is Difficult News Factory.' Screenshot from News Factory
On the morning of November 5, Prime Minister Kim appeared on the pro-ruling party YouTube channel 'Kim Eo-jun's Humility Is Difficult News Factory.' When asked about the possibility of running for Seoul mayor in the 9th nationwide local elections scheduled for June next year, he responded, "I believe a good candidate will emerge through a competitive process within the Democratic Party," reiterating his denial. When pressed again about the possibility of running himself, he emphasized, "I don't think such a situation will arise."
Prime Minister Kim, who officially took office in July, will soon mark four months in his position. When asked about his plans after serving as prime minister, he replied, "I hope to serve as prime minister for a long time," but added, "It's not up to me. Looking at past cases, prime ministers haven't been able to serve for very long." When asked if he would like to serve as long as former Prime Minister Han Ducksoo, he said, "I would like to serve for a reasonable period," adding, "It will be up to the president's decision."
Prime Minister Kim is being mentioned as a potential candidate for both the next Seoul mayoral race and the next Democratic Party leadership. If he decides to run in the local elections, the deadline for resigning from public office is March 5 next year.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Kim commented on the successful conclusion of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit held in Gyeongju last week, saying, "I'm relieved," and added, "It seems like the nation's fortunes are on the rise." He further stated, "If we were to rate the success of APEC from 1 to 100, 99 percent of the credit belongs to the president."
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