Lee: "Democratic Party is Centrist-Conservative" Backlash... Bimyeong Faction Criticizes "Identity Denial and Overreach"

Kim Boo-kyum: "Why Raise the Progressive-Conservative Debate at Such a Critical Time?"
Yang Ki-dae: "Remarks Denying the Democratic Party's Identity"
Jin Sung-jun: "The Party Has a Progressive Orientation" Attempts to Calm the Situation

There continues to be aftershocks inside and outside the party over Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, saying "The Democratic Party is centrist conservative." While the party leadership has come out in support of Lee's remarks, the non-mainstream faction has opposed them, calling it an act of denying the party's identity.

Former Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum of the same party stated on his Facebook on the 19th, "It is an overreach for Lee to unilaterally define the Democratic Party's identity." Kim said, "I find it difficult to understand why Lee is bringing up the progressive-conservative debate at this critical time," adding, "It is an overreach to unilaterally define the Democratic Party's identity, which has a long history. It is undemocratic and ahistorical."

Lee appeared on a YouTube channel the previous day and said, "We are not progressive," "From now on, the Democratic Party should take on the centrist conservative role, the right side," and "The progressive camp needs to be newly established."

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is attending the trial for charges related to the Public Official Election Act at the Seoul High Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul on February 19, 2025. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung

Kim Boo-kyum pointed out, "The Democratic Party is a party that inherits the spirit of Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun, with a proud 70-year tradition," adding, "President Kim Dae-jung called the Democratic Party 'a party for the middle class and ordinary people,' and President Roh Moo-hyun said, 'The last bastion of democracy is the organized power of citizens.' The Democratic Party's platform explicitly states that it 'represents the ordinary people and the middle class.'"

Yang Ki-dae, former Democratic Party lawmaker and chairman of the 'Hope and Forum' led by non-mainstream figures, also said, "I even doubted my ears because it was a statement denying the Democratic Party's identity of representing the ordinary people and the middle class." He added, "The Democratic Party I know is at least a progressive reform party that embraces the center," and criticized, "Just a few months ago, the Democratic Party and Lee were shouting 'progressive reform' to gain votes in the general election, so now suddenly defining the Democratic Party's identity as a centrist conservative party raises questions about what kind of political philosophy they hold."

Former emergency committee chair Park Ji-hyun also wrote on Facebook that day, "You emphasized pragmatism, but now are you saying the Democratic Party will become a conservative party?" and said, "You should admit it was a slip of the tongue and apologize to Democratic Party supporters." She criticized, "The authority to change the Democratic Party's identity does not belong to a four-year leader."

The party leadership also tried to contain the situation regarding Lee's remarks. Jin Sung-jun, chairman of the Democratic Party's Policy Committee, explained, "If we define the Democratic Party's political ideological stance, it is correct to say it is centrist conservative," but clarified, "That does not mean we aim for centrist conservatism. The party has a progressive orientation."

Yonhap News

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