Lee Grants Full Authority to Innovation Committee... Mixed Expectations and Concerns for Kim Eun-kyung Administration

"Divided Party Evaluations... Need to Present Impactful Innovation Plans"
Calls for Restoring Party Ethics Including Immunity from Arrest

The Democratic Party's Innovation Committee, entrusted to Professor Kim Eun-kyung of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies Law School, has become a subject of controversy over its operational direction even before its official launch. Created to resolve internal conflicts amid setbacks such as the money envelope scandal and independent lawmaker Kim Nam-guk's virtual asset investment allegations, doubts remain about whether the Innovation Committee can fulfill its role amid factional tensions.

The People Power Party has criticized the Democratic Party's Innovation Committee as an "Lee Jae-myung avatar" even before its personnel composition was finalized. On the 18th, People Power Party senior spokesperson Yoo Sang-beom stated in a commentary, "Although the innovation body was launched under pressure from the anti-Lee Jae-myung faction, it essentially acknowledges that it is a card to maintain Lee Jae-myung's status as the party leader and to buy time on internal issues. The current Democratic Party leadership, which refuses to listen to harsh criticism and swallows only sweet words, is 'disqualified' despite the need for efforts akin to re-founding the party."

Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung has expressed a stance of full delegation, saying, "I will entrust everything so that the party and politics can change." With full authority delegated, the Innovation Committee bears a heavy responsibility to devise strong innovation plans to overcome the party's crisis.

The Kim Sang-gon Innovation Committee, credited with laying the foundation of the current party constitution and regulations, was also fully delegated authority by then-New Politics Alliance for Democracy leader Moon Jae-in. After the crushing defeat in the April 29, 2015 general election, the Kim Sang-gon Innovation Committee introduced bold reforms such as implementing a lawmaker evaluation system in the nomination process. The party constitution Article 80, which suspends the duties of party officials indicted for corruption-related legal violations immediately upon indictment, was also established at that time.

Former Blue House Senior Secretary for Political Affairs Choi Jae-sung evaluated, "The Kim Sang-gon Innovation Committee was fully authorized to form the innovation committee and produced decent innovation plans. Although the situation was chaotic and even heading toward a split, it helped the Democratic Party overcome the crisis and recover its approval ratings."

Professor Kim Eun-kyung of the Department of Law at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, serving as the Innovation Committee Chair of the Democratic Party of Korea. Photo by Huh Younghan younghan@

On the 19th, former Senior Secretary Choi said on KBS Radio's 'Choi Kyung-young's Strong Current Affairs,' "Currently, the Innovation Committee chairperson was once appointed but resigned, so the momentum is lost, and evaluations of the Innovation Committee differ among factions. Therefore, there must be impact. Despite these conflicts and contrasting evaluations, the committee has not yet signaled that it can innovate effectively with impact. We need to watch a bit longer."

There are also opinions that the party should empower the Innovation Committee to start productive discussions. Former Democratic Party Supreme Council member Park Sung-min said in an interview with BBS Radio that "It is not right for some to belittle the newly appointed members by saying they will be mere puppets or figureheads," and "The necessary role within the party now is to present agendas so that productive discussions can proceed."

He then made two requests regarding the Innovation Committee's operational direction: a sober evaluation of the party and restoration of ethics within the party. Former Supreme Council member Park said, "I hope the Innovation Committee can conclude on which parts we are currently losing public trust," adding, "Because perspectives differ depending on factions, and some supporters also have different views."

He continued, "During Moon Jae-in's leadership, an exception clause was created for Article 80 of the party constitution, and now there is a question of whether to maintain or abolish it," and "Regarding the waiver of parliamentary immunity, I think a resolution or concrete guidelines that can lead to practical party actions are necessary."

Article 80 of the party constitution was used as a basis for calls for Lee Jae-myung's resignation after he was indicted by prosecutors over the Daejang-dong scandal and other allegations. The Democratic Party's Executive Committee regarded Lee's indictment as political oppression and recognized the exception clause, deciding not to suspend his duties, but this move was criticized for undermining the party constitution established to uphold party ethics.

The parliamentary immunity of lawmakers has recently emerged as a political reform issue, as motions to lift immunity for Lee Jae-myung, Democratic Party lawmaker Noh Woong-rae, People Power Party lawmaker Ha Young-je, and independent lawmakers Yoon Kwan-seok and Lee Sung-man were consecutively put to votes in the National Assembly.

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