"Regrettable Response Approach" Departing Democratic Party's 'Mr. Harsh Criticism' Kim Hae-young's Remarks

Political Leaders Speak Their Minds Regardless of Party Leadership on Each Controversial Issue
On the 28th, One Day Before Term Ends, Posts 'Final Candid Criticism' on SNS
"The Democratic Party Must Honestly Admit Mistakes to the Public"

Kim Hae-young, Supreme Council Member of the Democratic Party of Korea / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Ju-hyung] Kim Hae-young, a Supreme Council member of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) whose term ends in one day, left his final "bitter words" for the party on the 28th.

On that day, Kim posted on his Facebook, expressing his thoughts such as, "We must sincerely admit to the people when the Democratic Party has made mistakes," and "We need to expand the party's diversity."

Kim, who has publicly voiced his "principled opinions" on controversial issues regardless of the party leadership's stance, was nicknamed "Mr. Bitter Words." Attention is also focused on the notable remarks he made during his tenure as a Supreme Council member.

In January, when the so-called "hereditary nomination" controversy involving former Speaker of the National Assembly Moon Hee-sang erupted, Kim was the first within the Democratic Party to voice criticism. At that time, Moon officially declared his candidacy in Uijeongbu Gap, Gyeonggi Province, a constituency where Moon had been elected six times, sparking controversy in political circles over whether this was an unfair privilege of inheriting a constituency.

On January 20, at the party's Supreme Council meeting, Kim pointed out regarding the hereditary nomination controversy, "It is difficult to accept from the public sentiment that a child immediately following the term of a parent who is currently a member of the National Assembly receives the same party's nomination and runs in that constituency."

Furthermore, on the 17th of last month, Kim became the first within the party leadership to apologize regarding the Democratic Party's reference to the victim who accused the late Park Won-soon, former Mayor of Seoul, of sexual harassment as a "victim claimant."

Kim Hae-young, a Supreme Council member of the Democratic Party, is speaking at the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the 17th of last month. / Photo by Yonhap News

At that time, he said, "From now on, it is appropriate to use the term 'victim' rather than 'victim claimant,'" adding, "I deeply apologize to the victim, and the party must make every effort to protect the victim, including uncovering the truth."

He continued, "I also used the term 'victim claimant' in the early stages of the incident," and reflected, "There were shortcomings in protecting the victim during the party's series of responses related to this case. As a responsible political party, we failed to properly weigh the gravity of the matter between paying tribute to the deceased and protecting the victim."

Meanwhile, on the 28th, one day before his term ended, Kim left a lengthy farewell message on his Facebook. He said, "As a Supreme Council member, I tried to speak honestly to the people about current issues," emphasizing, "Even if it differs from the party's mainstream opinion, boldly expressing minority opinions is the way to expand the party's diversity and benefits both the national identity and the party."

He added, "Last year, the situation related to former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk caused increased public conflict and division," and said, "It remains regrettable that the party did not properly play its role in mediating and resolving the national conflict at that time."

He further stated, "Neither individuals nor parties can be perfect; anyone can make mistakes or do wrong. If we honestly admit our mistakes, the public will generally understand," adding, "If they do not understand, then we must take responsibility. What remains regrettable is not the mistakes or wrongdoings themselves but the way they were handled."

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