After his election at the National Assembly, Kim expressed his commitment to the role, stating, "I have been entrusted with a heavy responsibility. I will take this as a stern command to prepare diligently and humbly in the face of the party's crisis."
He emphasized the urgency of collaboration among democratic and progressive reform forces, noting, "As the forces of insurrection seize the opportunity, democracy, the resolution of insurrection, and the recovery of people's livelihoods cannot be achieved without the alliance and cooperation of democratic and progressive reform."
However, Kim also issued a warning to the Democratic Party, saying, "If the context is political maneuvering and power struggles, we will reject any alliance." He added, "While we may be smaller compared to the Democratic Party, our sincerity and dreams are not small, and we refuse to be treated carelessly."
Given Kim's immediate focus on the Democratic Party, there is speculation about his active role in the upcoming composition of the National Assembly.
Former floor leader Seo Wang-jin previously stated on June 11 regarding the assembly's composition, "It should not become a sharing of vested interests between the two major parties. If the composition devolves into a power struggle between the two parties, the National Assembly will be mired in conflict and vested interests rather than focusing on the people's livelihoods."
After the general meeting, Kim told reporters, "I believe we must break the vested interests of the two parties. I will seek cooperation with other minor parties and work to ease the requirements for parliamentary negotiation groups."
He also noted, "Since the Democratic Party lost several seats in the recent June 3 by-elections, I believe our strength has increased somewhat. We will cooperate where we can and make our demands known."
Meanwhile, the Justice Innovation Party plans to hold a national convention on July 25 at the Suwon Convention Center to elect a new leadership. This will occur about two months after former leader Jo Guk lost in the June 3 by-elections. Currently, Shin Jang-sik, the senior supreme council member, is serving as the acting party leader according to party rules.
Kim is expected to align with the newly elected leadership next month to strengthen policy alliances with progressive groups, including the Democratic Party and the Justice Party, and to discuss the process of merging with the Democratic Party.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.