Kim Min-seok, a candidate for the leadership of the Democratic Party, criticized former party leader Jeong Cheong-rae on July 9, stating, "What good is it to just call them a rebellious faction? Aren't we falling behind in party support?"
Continuing his campaign in Honam, Kim visited the Suncheon-gap district office, which is represented by lawmaker Kim Moon-soo, and expressed his dismay over the reversal in party support compared to the People Power Party, saying, "How embarrassing is this?"
He emphasized that winning the upcoming general election in 2028 is crucial, arguing, "What’s more important than criticizing them as a rebellious faction is securing more seats than them to win the election."
Kim stated, "I will not be a party leader who merely criticizes the rebellious faction. I will be a leader who defeats them," adding, "If you make me the party leader, I will widen the gap in support with the People Power Party within three months."
He also pointed out that over the past year, the party's support has significantly declined compared to President Lee Jae-myung's approval ratings, which contributed to the results of the June 3 local elections. This seemed to be a critique of Jeong's leadership.
Kim remarked, "It’s not about assigning blame, but the difference in party support compared to presidential approval ratings over the past year is evident. The election results reflect the party's failure to meet public expectations in terms of candidate nominations and election management."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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