Kim Dong-yeon Withdraws from Presidential Race... Opposition Party Says, "Why Did You Even Form a Party If This Is the Case?"

Opposition: "Joining the Dirty Old Wave" on Kim Dong-yeon's Resignation
Ruling Party: "Feeling Gratitude and Heavy Responsibility"

Kim Dong-yeon, the New Wave presidential candidate, is holding a press conference on "Political Change and Coalition Government" at the election campaign office in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, on the morning of the 2nd.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] Kim Dong-yeon, the presidential candidate of the New Wave party, declared his support for Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea, and withdrew from the race on the 2nd. In response, the People Power Party sharply criticized, "Instead of creating a new wave, he is joining the dirty old wave."

Heo Eun-ah, the chief spokesperson of the People Power Party, issued a statement on the same day, saying, "I express my regret to candidate Kim, who agreed to form a unified government with candidate Lee and withdrew from the race."

She said, "Last November, candidate Kim founded a new party, pledging to change the 'country of vested interests and plunder' into a 'country of opportunity and fairness.' However, isn't candidate Lee, notorious for the Daejang-dong gate and his wife's corporate card embezzlement, the very symbol of plundering vested interests?"

She continued, "If that is the case, the public cannot help but wonder why he bothered to establish a new party. The political change that both candidates claim as their justification only gives the public a hollow feeling."

Furthermore, Chief Spokesperson Heo pointed out, "Originally, what candidate Lee and the Democratic Party pushed was the 'Lee Jae-myung regime change theory.' The argument was that Lee Jae-myung is a frontier general and different from the Moon Jae-in administration, so even if candidate Lee wins, it would have the effect of regime change. When this unreasonable claim did not work, they brought out the political change theory and unified government theory at the end of the election."

She added, "It is even reported that candidate Lee proposed an alliance to Cho Won-jin, the candidate of Our Republican Party. Such a mixed coalition is not the unified government that the people desire. The Democratic Party, which has wielded the power of 180 seats to the fullest, now talking about political reform is nothing but a scam to easily win a complicated election," she directly criticized.

Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate, and Kim Dong-yeon, the New Wave presidential candidate, are shaking hands after meeting at a cafe in Mapo, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 1st.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Earlier, candidate Kim held a press conference at his campaign office located in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, in the morning, declaring his withdrawal from the race, saying, "From today, I will tie my shoelaces again to support candidate Lee's victory."

He said, "It was not an easy decision for me," and added, "I hope you understand that it was a difficult decision made to realize the values and philosophy we pursue."

Candidate Kim and candidate Lee met unexpectedly the day before at a cafe in Mapo, Seoul, and announced a joint declaration for political change.

The 'Joint Declaration for Political Change' agreed upon by the two includes ▲establishing a separate body to reach national consensus on constitutional amendments ▲drafting the '7th Republic constitutional amendment' within one year of the new government's inauguration ▲ensuring a decentralized presidential system, a responsible prime minister, and substantial separation of powers in the amendment ▲shortening the 20th presidential term by one year to hold the 2026 presidential and local elections simultaneously.

Meanwhile, the Democratic Party expressed "both gratitude and a heavy sense of responsibility" toward candidate Kim, who stepped down from the presidential race.

Park Chan-dae, the chief spokesperson of the Democratic Party's election committee, said in a briefing, "We will pursue politics that looks only to the people through policy solidarity and political integration for Korea's great transformation," adding, "We will respond with constitutional amendments that advance toward the future, not regress to the past."

He continued, "The political philosophies of candidates Lee Jae-myung and Kim Dong-yeon point in the same direction. We will do our utmost to break the cartel of vested interests and create a Korea of opportunity where people can rise again even after failure."

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