"Secret Deal? Controversial Messenger Messages" Prime Minister Minseok Kim Denies Authorship

New Year's Press Conference
Entering the Second Year in Office, Proactively Embracing the Role of a "Responsible Prime Minister"

A controversy has erupted after a scene was revealed showing a cabinet minister and a lawmaker from the Democratic Party exchanging Telegram messages regarding the potential merger between the Democratic Party and the Cho Kuk Innovation Party. On February 2, Prime Minister Minseok Kim denied any involvement, stating, "I did not write it." Some have speculated that the cabinet minister in question was Prime Minister Kim himself.

Prime Minister Minseok Kim is speaking at a press corps meeting held on February 2, 2026, at the Prime Minister's official residence in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News.

At a New Year's press conference held at the official residence in Seoul on February 2, Prime Minister Kim clarified that he was not the author of the message. However, he added, "I think it is a good discussion that the name 'Democratic Party' should be preserved even if a merger takes place." This suggests that he agrees with the content of the message, which included statements such as "the party name cannot be changed" and "no sharing of positions."

Regarding the merger discussions between the Democratic Party and the Cho Kuk Innovation Party, Prime Minister Kim said, "I am a principled proponent of broad democratic unity," but also expressed a negative view, saying, "I did not expect it to proceed in this manner at this time." He emphasized, "The process and procedure are as important as the outcome," and added, "If the process does not begin democratically, the outcome will not be desirable either," citing the 2014 case of the New Politics Alliance for Democracy led by Kim Han-gil and Ahn Cheol-soo as an example.

Prime Minister Kim reiterated, "Although it is described as a 'merger,' in reality, both politically and in terms of party membership, it is ultimately meaningful as an expansion of the Democratic Party's base," and stressed, "I believe that the fundamental identity or the name of the Democratic Party should not be changed under any circumstances."

Regarding his relationship with the current Democratic Party leader Jung Cheongrae, Prime Minister Kim said, "We are very close," and added, "While receiving condolences for former Prime Minister Lee Haechan, we continued to share mutual trust."

Meanwhile, following a meeting with U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance, former President Donald Trump issued a message about a "25% tariff reimposition" just one day later, leading to criticism that the so-called "hotline" is ineffective. Prime Minister Kim explained, "President Trump's sudden message was not known in advance to anyone involved in trade negotiations, including myself," and added, "Most people in the U.S. government were also unaware of the message, so it would be inaccurate to call this a 'diplomatic failure' given President Trump's unique communication style."

Regarding the Lee Jaemyung administration's real estate policy, Prime Minister Kim stated, "There are still more than four years left in the presidential term," and emphasized, "We will maintain a consistent approach." He said, "Regardless of whether the government was progressive or conservative in the past, the main reason real estate policies failed to deliver results was because the policies constantly shifted and could not maintain a consistent direction," and added, "Our administration will fundamentally address the issue through balanced regional development in the long term, ensure a stable and continuous supply, and use appropriate measures such as financial policies to manage excessive demand that does not align with common sense." He particularly noted, "Our basic principle is to avoid using tax-based approaches as much as possible, but we do not rule out any policy options."

With the launch of the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency scheduled for October and ongoing debates within the ruling bloc over prosecution reform, Prime Minister Kim stated, "I think it would be best to resolve the key issues before June at the latest," and added, "The timing of the bill's passage will be discussed with the party." Regarding the Government Innovation Task Force for Constitutional Respect, he said, "The investigation has been completed and the announcement will be made before the Lunar New Year."

When asked about the possibility of a supplementary budget, Prime Minister Kim dismissed the idea, saying, "There has been no discussion on this matter." In response to speculation that a supplementary budget could be drawn up in the first half of the year ahead of the local elections, he added, "At least from the government's current perspective, our approval ratings are not so low that we would need to consider a supplementary budget just for the elections or to shore up support. If various economic factors or public needs arise, we will consider it at that time."