Kim Ki-sik: "Democratic Party at a Crossroads Whether to Follow the People Power Party Led by the Taegeukgi Unit"

Kim Ki-sik, director of the The Future Research Institute, is presenting at the 2022 presidential and local election evaluation forum hosted by 'The Better Future' (The Future), the largest parliamentary group within the Democratic Party, at the National Assembly Members' Office Building on the 15th. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

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[Asia Economy reporters Naju-seok and Gu Chae-eun] The Better Future (Deo Mirae), the largest parliamentary group within the Democratic Party of Korea, compared its hardcore fandom to the Taegeukgi Unit and presented it as a "target to overcome."

On the 15th, Kim Ki-sik, head of Deo Mirae, said at a presidential and local election evaluation forum titled "What Should Be Done?" held at the National Assembly, "Can the party cross the river of homeland that has not yet been crossed?" He pointed out, "The People Power Party has a case where it was dragged by the Taegeukgi Unit throughout three consecutive defeats in the presidential, local, and general elections after impeachment. Whether the Democratic Party will take this case as a lesson or follow the same path will be the biggest issue going forward."

Kim, who summarized and announced Deo Mirae's position, said, "A situation similar to the process in the U.S. where the Tea Party took over the Republican Party and turned it into the Trump Party is occurring," and added, "We must coldly evaluate the various experiences in the history of global political parties where strengthening party democracy and expanding member rights unintentionally produced strong populism and other unintended consequences."

Regarding this, Kim said, "The task is whether to create a system and communication structure within the Democratic Party that allows party culture, communication structures, the old, middle-aged, and young generations, and a wide ideological spectrum from progressives to moderates to coexist."

Concerning future leadership, he said, "In five years, the People Power Party will have four competitors deciding the presidential candidate: Lee Jun-seok, the 40s leader of the People Power Party; Han Dong-hoon, the 50s Minister of Justice; and Oh Se-hoon, the mayor of Seoul in his early 60s, along with Assemblyman Ahn Cheol-soo," adding, "If we rely on Assemblyman Lee Jae-myung alone for four years and then fight the next presidential election, we could follow the path of former party president Lee Hoi-chang, who reigned as an imperial president even after the 1997 presidential election defeat and then retired from politics." He continued, "Within our party, various candidates must grow into future leadership to look toward the election five years from now."

The Democratic Party's forum continued that day as well. The 'Deomincho,' a group of first-term lawmakers, held a closed-door "Presidential and Local Election Evaluation and Proposal Forum" at the National Assembly Members' Office Building that morning. A first-term lawmaker told this publication in a phone interview, "It became an opportunity to discuss the party's innovation direction more deeply, focusing on the contents that came out during the forum." On the same day, second-term lawmakers also held a public forum at the National Assembly under the theme "Evaluation Forum for Overcoming the Democratic Party Crisis."

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