Kim Min-seok, a candidate for the leadership of the Democratic Party, criticized the leadership of former party head Jeong Cheong-rae on July 7, stating that it "failed to support government operations in various areas" over the past year. He also suggested that the discontent expressed by some pro-Jeong members should be addressed through "fair debate."
During an appearance on KBS Radio's 'Current Affairs', Kim remarked that the Democratic Party did not create a sense of supporting the government through rapid initiatives during Jeong's leadership. He noted, "It is also true that the party's support and local election results did not translate into satisfactory outcomes compared to public support and election forecasts."
Kim reiterated his earlier comments about the "detriments of self-centered politics" and the lack of internal deliberation processes within the party. In response to criticisms from some pro-Jeong members, he advocated for resolving issues through proper debate.
He pointed out, "The ruling party's politics should fundamentally involve discussions with the government, but there has been a lack in this area. Internal coordination and debate should be emphasized, but this aspect has not been sufficiently realized."
Addressing a counterargument from some pro-Jeong members questioning whether he bore any responsibility as the former Prime Minister for the issues stemming from self-centered politics, Kim stated, "I welcome such discussions. These matters can be resolved through fair debates among candidates during the party convention."
Additionally, in response to a question raised by pro-Jeong lawmaker Lee Seong-yoon about why he did not participate in the vote to lift martial law during the December 3 emergency, Kim dismissed it as a blatant falsehood. He expressed concern over such political tactics, saying, "Initially, I thought it was something being said by the People Power Party, but later I found out it was from that lawmaker. I am worried about politics being conducted in this manner."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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