'Basic' Plus 'Growth'.. Democratic Party Left Wing Lee Jae-myung's Central Region Departure Rally

Vision Presentation at Seonggong Forum Founding Ceremony
Introducing Sustainable Growth and Fair Economy in the Core Basic Series Policy
Expanding Centrism with an Economy-Centered Agenda

[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Chae-eun] Lee Jae-myung, Governor of Gyeonggi Province, who is leading in approval ratings among ruling party presidential candidates in various opinion polls, is accelerating his presidential campaign by presenting a national vision of "sustainable growth and a fair market economy." This agenda setting goes a step further from his flagship policy brand, the Basic Series (Basic Income, Housing, Finance), with a focus on economic centrality and centrist expansion. Specific presidential pledges are expected to be prepared mainly through the "Growth and Fairness Forum" (Seonggong Forum), led by lawmakers affiliated with Lee Jae-myung.

On the 20th, Lee attended the founding ceremony of the "Forum for Korea's Growth and Fairness" and said, "Growth and fairness contain the core values we should aim for." He added, "For sustainable growth, convergent economic policies are necessary. This is why many people are paying attention to the expansion of economic basic rights represented by basic income, basic housing, and basic finance." Regarding the concept of "fairness," he said, "Co-prosperity between large and small-medium enterprises and balanced regional development are key strategies."

To concretize Lee's presidential vision, the Seonggong Forum plans to focus on discussions and policy production around eight key themes. These include the expansion of basic economic rights such as basic income, housing, and finance, which Lee has already prioritized, as well as ▲sustainable society, ▲future of the semiconductor industry, ▲fairness in global platform companies, ▲future of the advanced automobile industry, ▲real estate measures, ▲institutionalization of virtual assets, and ▲data economy and the future of Korea's capital market. A senior lawmaker affiliated with Lee Jae-myung stated, "Lee will compete with policies and pledges that emphasize 'pragmatism' rather than factionalism."

Song Young-gil, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, who attended the forum's founding ceremony, supported Lee's national vision by saying, "Fairness is an essential value for a society to maintain and leap forward." Yoon Ho-jung, floor leader of the Democratic Party, also said, "This year's LH scandal clearly revealed how fragile the systems and legal frameworks supporting fairness were. From now on, we must carefully examine and correct them."

At a meeting with reporters before the forum on the same day, Lee said regarding the ruling party's push to ease the loan-to-value (LTV) ratio on mortgage loans, "I believe that loan easing and financial support are necessary for those who need protection, such as actual residents or one-homeowners." However, he added, "It is right to maintain the principle of restricting finance and increasing holding burdens for houses or real estate intended for speculation." Regarding the recent semiconductor industry crisis, he said, "Semiconductors are the rice of our industry and the main pillar supporting the economy, so cooperation and support are necessary."

Meanwhile, Kim Byung-wook and Min Hyung-bae were appointed as co-chairs of the newly launched Seonggong Forum. Lawmaker Hong Jeong-min was appointed as research secretary, and senior lawmakers Ahn Min-seok and Jung Sung-ho serve as advisors to the forum. Additionally, 34 members of the National Assembly, including Kim Nam-guk, Kim Seung-won, Kim Young-jin, Kim Yoon-duk, Kim Han-jung, Moon Jung-bok, Park Sung-joon, Park Sang-hyuk, Seo Sam-seok, Seo Young-seok, Song Jae-ho, Yang Eui-won-young, Yoo Jung-joo, Lee Kyu-min, Lee Dong-joo, Lee Soo-jin (Dongjak), Lee Soo-jin (Proportional), Lee Won-taek, Lim Oh-kyung, Lim Jong-sung, Jeon Yong-gi, Jung Pil-mo, Jung Il-young, Jo Jeong-sik, Joo Cheol-hyun, Choi Ki-sang, Choi Jong-yoon, Choi Hye-young, and Hwang Un-ha (in alphabetical order), have joined the forum. The Democratic Party lawmakers listed in this forum are firmly classified as 'Lee Jae-myung faction lawmakers' in the 20th presidential election.

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