Kim Taenyeon Elected as Floor Leader of the 'Super-Ruling Party'... "Uniting the Party with Leadership of Integration" (Comprehensive)

At the '21st National Assembly Democratic Party 1st Floor Leader Election General Assembly' held at the National Assembly on the 7th, Kim Taenyeon, the newly elected floor leader candidate, is posing while holding a bouquet. Photo by Yoon Dongjoo doso7@

[Asia Economy, reporters Kang Nahum, Won Dara, Jeon Jinyoung] Kim Taenyeon, a pro-Moon Jae-in lawmaker from the party's mainstream faction, has been elected as the new floor leader to head the Democratic Party of Korea, now a "super-ruling party" with 180 seats.

On the afternoon of May 7, at the Democratic Party's 1st Floor Leader Election General Assembly held at the National Assembly, Kim was elected as the new floor leader after receiving 82 votes (50.3% of the total) out of 163 Democratic Party lawmakers-elect.

With all lawmakers-elect casting their votes, Kim secured a majority and was confirmed as floor leader without a runoff. Lawmaker Jeon Haecheol received 72 votes, while Jeong Seongho received 9 votes, and both were defeated.

Kim was first elected to the National Assembly in the 17th general election in 2004, lost in the 18th, but then won consecutive terms in the 19th through 21st general elections. As a four-term senior lawmaker, he is classified within the party as both "pro-Moon" and part of the "Lee Haechan faction."

He has served as deputy floor leader of the Uri Party, secretary of the National Assembly Special Committee on Political Reform, chairman of the Gyeonggi Province branch of the New Politics Alliance for Democracy, secretary of the National Assembly Special Committee on Political Reform, and co-chairman of the National Council for Reconciliation and Cooperation. Notably, during the 20th National Assembly, he served as the Democratic Party's Policy Committee Chairman and as vice chairman of the State Affairs Planning Advisory Committee, which functioned as the transition team for the Moon Jae-in administration. Thanks to this background, he is also known within the party as a "policy expert."

At the '21st National Assembly Democratic Party 1st Floor Leader Election General Assembly' held at the National Assembly on the 7th, newly elected floor leader Kim Taenyeon is greeting floor leader Lee Inyoung. Photo by Yoon Dongjoo doso7@

With his election, Kim now wields formidable negotiating power and authority, backed by the party's 180 seats. However, he also faces significant responsibilities and challenges. In particular, overcoming the economic crisis caused by COVID-19 is an urgent task. The immediate priority is passing the third supplementary budget bill, which is scheduled to be submitted in early June, when the 21st National Assembly term begins. As Kim has consistently emphasized the active role of fiscal policy, he is expected to call on the government for bold supplementary budget measures following his election.

Unresolved issues remain, such as legislation related to prosecutorial reform. In particular, for the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) to be launched as scheduled in July, follow-up bills such as the Personnel Hearing Act must be passed by the 20th National Assembly. Whether the CIO launches on time will depend on Kim's leadership.

In his acceptance speech, Kim said, "At a time when the economic crisis caused by COVID-19 is approaching, I feel a great sense of responsibility as the floor leader of the ruling party," adding, "I will take the lead in overcoming the economic crisis by uniting the strength and wisdom of our lawmakers."

He continued, "With a leadership of unity, I will bring the party together as one and focus the capabilities of the party, government, and Blue House on overcoming this crisis. In addition, I will personally oversee and expedite measures to overcome the economic crisis as floor leader."

Kim also expressed his gratitude to party leader Lee Haechan, saying, "I will never forget your sacrifice and dedication for our party. Although only a few months remain, I will work with the Democratic Party leadership and our lawmakers to ensure stability and unity."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.