Kang Hoon-sik: "Now is the time to focus on vision competition... I do not wish for political engineering unification"

"Timing and Format of Unification Are the Next Issues"
"A Contest Not Between Opposites but Between Newness and Oldness"

Kang Hoon-sik, a candidate for the Democratic Party of Korea's party leader, is holding a press conference related to the party convention at the National Assembly Members' Office Building on the 31st. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunji Kwon] Kang Hoon-sik, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea confirmed as a candidate for the party leader final election, stated on the 31st that “Now is the time to focus on the Future Alliance and vision competition” regarding the candidate unification with his party leadership rival Park Yong-jin.

At a press briefing at the National Assembly on the same day, Kang said, “The unification between candidates has been done, but the reason why it was done is not clearly revealed to the public. There should be a vision competition about what the Democratic Party means according to Lee Jae-myung, Park Yong-jin, and Kang Hoon-sik, and it should be a discussion about the future direction. If common ground is created, those things will also be materialized,” he said.

In response to the question, “Did you agree on unification in principle? Are there discussions left about the timing and method?” he replied, “Please interpret it as the latter. It is more important to read that we are focusing on the Future Alliance and vision competition,” adding, “The timing and procedural format are the next issues.”

He said, “The 97 group (those who entered university in the 1990s and were born in the 1970s) was immersed in unification early on, and after the preliminary election, I will be determined to properly introduce Kang Hoon-sik to the general party members and the public in the final election,” revealing a difference in stance from candidate Park, who has been urging unification since the preliminary election.

Kang evaluated, “Both Park and Lee Jae-myung were presidential candidates and primary candidates. Their strength is wide recognition,” while differentiating himself by saying, “I am a fresh, most potential, and disruptive candidate. I will focus on proving this at the party convention.” He added, “This party convention will not be an anti-Lee (anti-Lee Jae-myung) confrontation but a contest between new and old, present and future.”

He said, “I will make it a new and strong young ruling party. I will act as a game changer who creates new strategies and new frameworks,” adding, “Lee is indispensable to the Democratic Party, but the party cannot move forward with only Lee.”

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