'Pro-Myeong' Deominju Innovation Meeting Begins Presidential Preparation... First Step with Criticism of 'Pro-Moon' Im Jong-seok

Innovation Committee Rising from Outside the Assembly to the Largest Faction
Entering 3rd Term, "We Will Prepare for Ruling"... Support Also from Within the Assembly
Effectively Operating as Lee Jae-myung's Presidential Policy Preparation Team

The Democratic Party's largest pro-Lee Jae-myung faction organization, the Democratic Party National Innovation Council (Innovation Council), has changed its character with the establishment of its 3rd leadership system. Having emphasized party innovation, it publicly announced last week that it has entered 'preparation for ruling.' It revealed plans to involve members of the National Assembly, effectively supporting Representative Lee Jae-myung in the upcoming presidential race.

Starting with a forum on unification measures held on the 25th, the Innovation Council plans to address issues such as basic income, local decentralization, and culture and arts. Yoon Yong-jo, Executive Director of the Innovation Council, explained in a phone interview with Asia Economy, "Two committees by policy tasks have been launched," adding, "Each committee will be matched with Innovation Council-affiliated lawmakers to develop policies." He also said, "We will continuously receive demands from party members and conduct joint research."

On April 29, participants shouted slogans at the Democratic Party of Korea National Innovation Meeting's discussion session on the general election evaluation and organizational outlook held at the National Assembly Members' Office Building. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

The 3rd leadership of the Innovation Council was inaugurated on the 21st. Kang Wi-won, the 2nd term standing representative, resigned citing the need for external expansion, and the Innovation Council approved five co-standing representatives. The co-standing representatives include Representative Kang Sun-woo (re-elected, Gangseo-gu Gap, Seoul), Bang Yong-seung, co-representative of Jeonbuk Gyeorehana, Professor Yoo Dong-chul of Dong-Eui University, Lee Young-soo, chairman of the Democratic Party Gyeongbuk Provincial Committee, and former Daejeon Mayor Heo Tae-jung. Former standing representative Kang stated, "The Innovation Council is requested to build the backbone and muscles of the nationwide organization more deeply down to 226 cities, counties, and districts."

The first forum held under the 3rd leadership system addressed criticism of the Moon Jae-in administration’s North Korea policy. The Innovation Council’s North Korea Policy Committee held an urgent forum titled 'North Korea’s Hostile Two-State Declaration and the Tasks of the Next Democratic Government,' discussing the notion that "the two-state theory is absurd." It criticized the 'peaceful two-state theory' advocated by Im Jong-seok, former presidential chief of staff with a pro-Moon Jae-in stance. Shin Jun-young, head of the Innovation Council’s North Korea Policy Committee, served as director of the Gyeonggi-do Peace Cooperation Bureau when Representative Lee Jae-myung was governor of Gyeonggi Province.

Im, who was active in the Moon Jae-in administration, argued at the '6th Anniversary Ceremony of the September 19 Pyongyang Joint Declaration' on the 19th that "we should not unify," and on the morning of the 25th, posted on social media that "the best practical solution is a peaceful two-state status with free exchanges."

The Innovation Council started as an external organization in its 1st term and rose to become the largest faction within the party by producing 31 lawmakers in its 2nd term. Representative Kim Woo-young, who served as the 1st term standing representative, also entered the National Assembly in the 22nd general election.

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