Kim Min-seok "Seoul Mayor Should Promote the 'New Four'"... Kang Kyung-hwa, Kang Byung-won, Kim Hyun-jong, Park Yong-man Named

"Inakyeon, Chumiae, Pak Yongjin, and Pak Yeongseon as the Last Card"
Need to Establish Strategic Direction After Presidential Election Failure

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jun-yi] Kim Min-seok, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea belonging to the '86 Group,' proposed that the party should promote the "new four faces" for the Seoul mayoral race. This suggestion is intended to respond to the public demand for party reform following the presidential election defeat.

On the 10th, Kim stated on Facebook, "Now is the time to filter out problematic candidates, prepare a final call list of internal candidates, and focus all efforts on discovering new products aimed at winning the entire local elections."

He identified former Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-hwa, two-term lawmaker Kang Byung-won, former Blue House National Security Office Deputy Director Kim Hyun-jong, and former Doosan Group Chairman Park Yong-man as candidates for the Seoul mayoral election.

Kim explained, "Kang Kyung-hwa is an excellent integrative female leader who fits the zeitgeist of global Seoul and has experience supporting Park Young-sun in the by-election. Kang Byung-won is a well-prepared and attractive post-86 type internal politician for the Seoul election. Kim Hyun-jong is a pragmatic global gladiator with principles and skills who has worked alongside Kim Dae-jung, Roh Moo-hyun, Moon Jae-in, and Lee Jae-myung. Park Yong-man is a valuable entrepreneur who has maintained a career and image similar to Kim Geun-tae in the business world."

Regarding presidential candidate-level figures such as former Democratic Party leader Lee Nak-yeon, former Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae, lawmaker Park Yong-jin, and former Minister of SMEs and Startups Park Young-sun, Kim said, "Regardless of their own intentions, they should be prepared to be called upon, as it is the duty of party members to respond when summoned. However, they should be kept as the last card as much as possible and their competitiveness should be assessed." He explained the reason as "It is a harsh request that is not easy for them or anyone else, and from the perspective of public sentiment seeking freshness, it is not the best option."

Regarding his earlier proposal for an "open comprehensive final debate," he argued, "Now that we have lost the presidential election, we need to clarify the major strategic direction for regime creation in five years. Is it strong confrontation, cooperative dispute resolution, prioritizing cooperation, focusing on people's livelihood, prioritizing prosecution, media, and political reform, or a diversionary tactic?"

Kim emphasized, "The way to protect both the party and Lee Jae-myung is victory in Seoul and nationwide. Let us embrace each other and engage in fierce debate."

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