Kang Hoon-sik Announces Candidacy for August Democratic Party Leadership Election "Deeply Considering"

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Ju-yeon] Kang Hoon-sik, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, said regarding the possibility of running for party leader at the party convention in August, "It is true that I am deeply considering it."

On the 17th, Kang appeared on KBS Radio's 'Choi Kyung-young's Strong Current Affairs' in the morning and said, "I am taking seriously the demand that the Democratic Party needs change."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Regarding being mentioned as a candidate for party leader among the 97 group, Kang said, "It is true that I am deeply considering what is being demanded of me," adding, "This is something I must challenge with everything I have, so I am asking myself how well I can answer that."

Amid calls for a 'generation change' within the party, Kang said, "I find it difficult to agree with the idea that young people should lead simply because they are young," emphasizing, "Ultimately, the demand is to change the face, content, and constitution of the Democratic Party, not to pass it on based on age."

Regarding the 'non-candidacy' disputes targeting specific individuals, he pointed out, "It is time to shift from claims like 'You shouldn't run' or 'You must not run' to future debates about 'Let's change this, let's change that.'"

Kang acknowledged that the current factional conflicts within the party are "serious," but he does not believe it will lead to a split. When asked about the possibility of a party split, he replied, "It won't go that far," adding, "Through intense internal strife or debates, we will ultimately create a culture of overcoming it again."

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