[Reporter’s Notebook] Minju 97 Group, Vision Over Criticism

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Ju-yeon] "Is there a rule that says you shouldn't even try just because it's called 'Eodaemyeong'? Was Lee Jae-myung a Lee Jae-myung (someone with enough influence to become a presidential candidate) from the start?"

Photo by Oh Ju-yeon

The August 28 party convention to elect the next Democratic Party leadership officially kicked off on the 18th with the start of candidate registration. It is a showdown between 'Lee Jae-myung' and the '97 Group/anti-Lee Jae-myung faction.' The so-called 'Yangbak Yanggang'?including Park Yong-jin, Park Ju-min, Kang Byung-won, and Kang Hoon-sik?who completed candidate registration, belong to the 97 Group (those who entered university in the 1990s and were born in the 1970s). They have put generational change front and center. Taking responsibility for two election defeats, they argue that the new leadership must be different for the Democratic Party’s reflection and innovation, and share the common view that "with Lee Jae-myung, even the general election will be lost." Their ambition is not merely to play a checking role but to "come out to win."

However, something crucial is missing. They lack values, vision, and policies that embody their own identity. While saying "Lee Jae-myung’s judicial risk" is unacceptable, they have no "own icon." They criticize "Lee Jae-myung’s hardcore fandom" for harming the party’s diversity, but they themselves have no "values and vision." They talk about "Lee Jae-myung’s responsibility," but their own "role" is not visible. It seems that serious and deep consideration of the values and virtues the next leadership should have, policy vision, and the future of the Democratic Party has been postponed amid discussions that simply say "Lee Jae-myung is not acceptable."

A four-term Democratic Party lawmaker asked at a lunch gathering, "Why do we have elections?" He spoke frankly: "It’s to win."

One candidate for party leader recently said on the radio, "If I pass the cut-off, it’s worth fighting," and a candidate for Supreme Council member said, "The first goal is to pass the cut-off." All speak in one voice about the Democratic Party’s innovation, reform, and renewal, but no candidate presents the "how." It is time to show a convincing vision and policies not only to party members but also to the public.

"The 97 Group, what’s different from the 586 except being 10 years younger?" It is time to listen to the painful advice of former emergency committee chair Park Ji-hyun.

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