'5-term' Sangmin Lee leaves Democratic Party... "Impossible to fix Gaeddal Party"

Senior 5-term lawmaker Sangmin Lee declares departure from the Democratic Party on the 3rd
"Democratic Party has fallen into Lee Jae-myung's personal party and Gaeddal party"
"Hypocrisy, shamelessness, and shield party" fierce criticism

Lee Sang-min, a five-term veteran lawmaker of the Democratic Party of Korea, announced his resignation from the party. He cited the party's transformation into a personal faction under the leadership of Lee Jae-myung and its shift toward a base centered on "Gaeddal" (hardcore supporters) as the reason.

On the 3rd, Lee stated in his resignation letter, "As of today, I intend to part ways with the Democratic Party," adding, "Although I feel deep regret and sorrow, I also feel relieved." He recalled, "When I entered politics in 2004, the slogan of the Uri Party was 'Clean politics, a country where everyone prospers equally,' which still excites my heart today." He reflected, "Up to my current five terms, I have made intense efforts and experienced achievements and fulfillment, which I take pride in."

Lee Sang-min, Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker (second from left) [Image source=Yonhap News]

He criticized, "Since Lee Jae-myung took over as party leader, the Democratic Party has not improved but rather degenerated into 'Lee Jae-myung’s personal faction' and the 'Gaeddal Party,' where unreasonable and shameless behaviors such as outright denial, stubborn resistance, hypocrisy, shamelessness, breaking promises, acting as a shield party, collective violent language, exclusion of hate and discrimination, incompetence and helplessness, and blind obedience have become habitual and widespread." He added, "All sorts of flaws have accumulated to the point that it is impossible to fix or reuse the party."

Lee said, "I feel deeply ashamed and burdened by the pangs of conscience," and stated, "I can no longer hold onto my hopes and dreams for the Democratic Party, which has now fallen into the 'Lee Jae-myung personal faction' and 'Gaeddal Party.'" He continued, "Further expectations and efforts are futile and useless," and said, "I want to part ways pleasantly with the current Democratic Party, which cannot serve as a foundation to restore common-sense politics, and seek a new path with a clear mind."

Regarding his future plans, he said, "No matter which path I take, I will pursue common-sense politics, realize the values of democracy and human rights as practical values, and focus on smart politics that involve groundbreaking and continuous investment in future fields such as education and science and technology, as well as on people’s livelihoods." He added, "I will take more time to observe the situation carefully and reflect on my specific future course before announcing it later."

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