Park Kwang-on Emphasizes 'Unity': "Pro-Myeong and Anti-Myeong Factions Do Not Help the Party... We Must Gain Public Trust"

Park Kwang-on, the newly appointed floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, opened his tenure with a call for ‘unity.’ Although he is labeled as a non-Lee Jae-myung (비명계) floor leader, Park himself stated that "the classification of pro-Lee or anti-Lee is not important." Emphasizing communication, Park put the values of the Democratic Party at the forefront and urged a change in the government and ruling party’s national policy direction.

On the 28th, after being elected as floor leader, Park met with reporters and said, "The floor leader election itself should be a process of unification and gathering energy, so the pro-Lee, anti-Lee, and pro-Moon factions are not desirable and do not help the party." He stressed, "We must unite the party’s strength as one."

He also emphasized communication with Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party leader. Regarding Lee’s mention of a ‘wise decision’ related to next year’s general election, Park said, "Lee stated at the party caucus that winning the general election is the most important task, that he is the one who most desires it, and that he would do whatever it takes to achieve victory. This was made public." He added, "There is a lot of meaning in that statement, and interpreting it could lead to misunderstandings. But looking at the overall context, I can empathize with it. I trust his words."

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Regarding party unity, he said, "Unity is not that difficult. It is important to have the ability to communicate and empathize by balancing and harmonizing diversity, listening to different opinions, and bringing them together, harmonizing each member’s views with the overall party stance." He continued, "While party unity is important, connecting the people and our party so that the public can empathize more with each of our policies and messages is also crucial, and we will strive to build that trust."

On relations with the opposition, he said, "There are areas that need improvement, and it is important for the National Assembly’s operation to be conducted through dialogue and compromise in accordance with the National Assembly Act and the spirit of the Constitution. I plan to meet with the ruling party leader soon to discuss the fundamental principles and deeply consider how to prioritize people’s livelihoods and restore politics." He added, "There will be difficult issues ahead, but sometimes solving the easier problems first can open the way to resolving the harder ones. I will do my best, and I earnestly emphasize once again that it is very important for the government and ruling party to recognize the opposition, the Democratic Party, as a key pillar in national governance."

Immediately after his election, Park expressed his determination to actively reform in response to controversies such as the money envelope scandal at the party convention. He said, "Above all, I am grateful to have reaffirmed the strong will of the members to reform in the direction the public desires," adding, "Restoring public trust is what will strengthen our power the most."

Park said, "Attitude is essential. While being aware of the seriousness surrounding us, I believe the public pays more attention to how our party views and approaches this issue?it's a matter of attitude." He pledged, "I will convene a party meeting as soon as possible to find a truly wise solution to this problem." He also said, "I will listen to and respect each member’s opinion overnight if necessary, gather consensus, and report back to the public."

Regarding the future role of the floor leader, he emphasized expanding the Democratic Party’s values.

Park said, "We will further expand the Democratic Party’s values and strengthen areas that are lacking. We will go deeper and wider into the people, always placing people at the center, and unite our efforts to become a just and fair Democratic Party that remembers this, a people-centered Democratic Party."

He said, "The 20-somethings working in bakeries, young people victimized by jeonse fraud, security guards suffering from power abuse and indirect employment, school meal workers exposed to lung cancer, and the youth who went to Itaewon and never returned?these are social pains," adding, "This reaffirms the Democratic Party’s commitment to always stand by the socially vulnerable."

He stated, "With values true to the Democratic Party and bold politics, we will correct the wrong policies of the Yoon Seok-youl government," and added, "The Yoon Seok-youl government’s policies lack a human element. I strongly urge a shift in the national governance direction to be people-centered even at this stage." He further called for "the abolition of the Yoon government’s autocratic, arbitrary, and unilateral governance."

Regarding the special investigations into the 5 billion won club and Kim Geon-hee, Park said, "I hope the People Power Party humbly accepts these," adding, "Only then can cooperation between the public, the Democratic Party, and the government be possible, and we can overcome the crisis."

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