[Interview] Lee Tan-hee "No Party Convention Without Vision and Policy... Will Demand Answers Through Campaign"

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[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Ju-yeon] "Politics that relies on the mistakes of the opposing party or only on the art of fighting cannot be good politics. The new leadership to be formed in August must be able to establish the Democratic Party's value vision, lead integration, and discuss the spirit of the times."

On the 10th, Lee Tan-hee, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, said in an interview with Asia Economy at the National Assembly Members' Office Building, "The party convention must not become one where value vision, policy, and the spirit of the times are missing. Through the second phase of the Democratic Party Innovation Campaign, we will seek a process to find the Democratic Party's unique value vision," he said.

Lee Tan-hee, Member of the Democratic Party of Korea./Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

On the 1st, Lee started the 'Democratic Party Innovation Campaign,' which listens to party members and citizens about the Democratic Party's identity, saying, "The Democratic Party needs changes at the level of re-founding." He described the current Democratic Party as being "in a state of depleted basic strength" and emphasized that "it is necessary to regain the Democratic Party's unique colors and values."

He explained, "Opinions are converging on the need for the Democratic Party to return to a value community rather than vested interests," and analyzed, "There are three major tasks for the Democratic Party: mainstream replacement, clarity of values and vision, and presenting core agendas."

He also pointed out that although these discussions should take place at the party convention scheduled for August 28, there are still no visible proposals on the agenda. Although there are rumors of his candidacy for the leadership, he remained reserved, saying, "It is a priority to ripen the atmosphere for change in the Democratic Party."

Below is the Q&A.

Lee Tan-hee, member of the Democratic Party of Korea./Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

-Background for starting the 'Democratic Party Innovation Campaign'

Good politics is disappearing in South Korea. The Justice Party is no different. The difference from established parties is becoming blurred. There are no values or visions, only political strife remains. Meanwhile, the Democratic Party's basic strength is depleted. The Democratic Party relies on the opponent's mistakes or the art of fighting. I thought it was necessary to establish what makes the Democratic Party different, its unique color.

Although the government under Moon Jae-in pledged to resolve polarization, it failed to prevent polarization in real estate assets, and although it emphasized the interests of the middle class, it did not properly protect the interests of the core group, the self-employed. Can the Democratic Party be free from the question of whether it has truly pursued the values it claimed? The political reform promised just before the presidential election is the same. It was said it would be pursued regardless of the election outcome, but it was not implemented. This is why the question 'What is the Democratic Party doing now?' is being asked.

-Regarding the innovation campaign, what have you gathered so far about what people want from the Democratic Party?

Generally, opinions converge on the Democratic Party needing to return to a value community rather than vested interests. This can be summarized into three main points. First, regarding mainstream replacement, there is an opinion that those who led the last presidential and local elections should take responsibility. Also, there is a demand to clarify values and vision and return as a party for the common people and the middle class. Just as free school meals were a core agenda in 2010, there is a demand for agenda-setting that only the Democratic Party can do. This exactly matches the strategy I publicly proposed at the recent lawmakers' workshop.

-With the party leader election coming up in August, what should we focus on?

I believe that 'politics as pluralism, economy as a safety net' should be the core agenda the Democratic Party pursues. However, at the party convention stage, there are still no visible candidates presenting such agendas. The convention must not become one where value vision and policy are missing. It must move toward discussions on the spirit of the times. Soon, I plan to publicly demand that candidates running for the party leadership present their values, vision, and policies.

Also, the Democratic Party Innovation Campaign targeting party members will expand to politicians in its second phase. I will have each of the 170 Democratic Party lawmakers declare, 'I will stake my political life on doing 00,' to restore trust in the Democratic Party.

Lee Tan-hee, Member of the Democratic Party of Korea./Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

-What virtues or hopes do you have for the 'new leadership'?

The leader of the Democratic Party as the opposition must be completely different from when it was the ruling party. The ruling party leader is under the shadow of the president. When the Democratic Party is in opposition, its leader plays a role encompassing the progressive camp, which is even more significant. This is also due to the nature of the two-party system. In this party convention process, it seems necessary to test whether the candidate has leadership capable of uniting the entire progressive camp.

Moreover, given that South Korea is currently an unprecedentedly unstable society, the new leadership must be able to solve social problems, set agendas, and push them forward. The National Assembly should expand the economic safety net and protect the common people and middle class through checks on the government and ruling party. The fairness and freedom that the Yoon Seok-youl government talks about must not become privileges for the wealthy, prosecutors, and relatives. Continuously checking this is also a task for the Democratic Party and the new leadership.

-What is the problem behind the Yoon Seok-youl government's declining approval ratings?

The problem is that they are doing nothing, that nothing is being done. Is their state philosophy just complaining about the Moon Jae-in government? They keep talking about past administrations. There is nothing to evaluate in diplomacy. The debate over achievements itself has disappeared. The only controversies are trivial ones like behind-the-scenes stories about the president and first lady because there are no achievements worth evaluating. The public feels very disillusioned.

-Do you have any plans to run for the next leadership?

My priority is to ripen the atmosphere for change in the Democratic Party.

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