Kim Jong-min: "We will ensure the Roh Moo-hyun administration's history does not repeat... Complete prosecution and media reform"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Wondara] Kim Jong-min, a Democratic Party lawmaker (re-elected, Nonsan, Gyeryong, Geumsan), has announced his candidacy for the Democratic Party's Supreme Council election. In his declaration, Kim emphasized, "I will ensure that the history of the Roh Moo-hyun administration does not repeat itself," and added, "I will complete reforms of the prosecution, judiciary, and media."

On the afternoon of the 21st, Kim held a press conference at the National Assembly and said, "I will make sure that the history of the 2007 Roh Moo-hyun administration does not repeat itself. If I become a Supreme Council member, the party, government, and Blue House will unite as one to achieve the success of the Moon Jae-in administration and the reestablishment of the regime."

He stated, "I jumped into politics with the sole determination to protect President Roh Moo-hyun of the Participatory Government," and added, "From serving as the Blue House spokesperson during the Participatory Government to now, I have served two presidents and gained 17 years of experience in the Blue House and the National Assembly."

He continued, "During my time as a member of the 20th National Assembly, I served as the secretary of the Political Reform Special Committee and as a member of the Judiciary Committee, leading efforts in political reform and prosecution reform. Over the past 20 years, I will complete the long-standing tasks of prosecution reform, judicial reform, and media reform," he emphasized.

He also stressed party renewal. Kim said, "I will innovate the Democratic Party into a more democratic party," adding, "It should not be a party only for the leadership, only for lawmakers, or an elite party, but a democratic party that communicates with party members and the public and reflects their voices."

He added, "The Democratic Party must become the Jiphyeonjeon of the 21st century, the center of collective intelligence in Korea," and continued, "Instead of sending the party's talents to public institutions as parachute appointments, we should send them to local and sectoral livelihood sites to gather diverse wisdom from the people."

He also said, "The next presidential candidate's pledges should be created by the party, gathering the wisdom of party members and the public, not by the election campaign team."

Right after his declaration, when asked by reporters what he thinks a healthy next leadership is, Kim said, "Over the past two years, the Supreme Council members have worked hard, but I often heard that only the party leader is visible," adding, "I felt frustrated about whether the diverse voices of many party members are being conveyed to the leadership. Rather than being overshadowed by the party leader, I will communicate with lawmakers and party members throughout the two years, gather wisdom, and convey it to the Supreme Council."

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