Lee Jae-myung: "Democrats Are a Centrist Party... People Power Party Shows Its Far-Right Nature"
by Moon Hyewon
Published 23 Feb.2025 11:55(KST)
Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, emphasized on the 23rd that "In the current situation where the People Power Party has revealed its far-right nature and abandoned even the formal role of conservatism, the Democratic Party's role as a centrist conservative is more important."
On the same day, Lee posted on social media (SNS) that "the Democratic Party is a centrist party," expressing this view.
Regarding the recent 'identity dispute' within the party, he said, "progressivism and conservatism are relative depending on the era and circumstances," adding, "By the standards of Western advanced countries, as intellectuals like Kim Dae-jung, Moon Jae-in, and Lee Hae-chan have pointed out, the Democratic Party is a conservative party or close to one."
He continued, "Currently, in South Korea, the People Power Party, a reactionary party that falsely claims conservatism, has embraced Yoon Seok-youl and Jeon Gwang-hoon, revealing its far-right nature, abandoning even the superficial role of conservatism, and has embarked on the path of a far-right criminal party," pointing out, "Opposing the impeachment of a rebel ringleader who attempted permanent military rule by destroying the country and killing thousands of citizens, and protecting constitutional destruction forces that violently seized the courts, cannot be called 'conservatism.'"
He added, "Restoring the collapsed economy and the destroyed constitutional order is the greatest task for not only the Democratic Party but also the majority of citizens who support democratic republicanism," and said, "As a pragmatic mass party, it should do well whatever is necessary for national interest and people's welfare, regardless of left or right or factional divisions."
Furthermore, he stated, "The Democratic Party must take responsibility for conservatism duties such as constitutional restoration, rule of law protection, and growth recovery, which the People Power Party has abandoned and left behind," and added, "It is not that the Democratic Party has shifted to the right; rather, the world has changed, and the priority tasks that the Democratic Party and Lee Jae-myung should focus on have changed. Due to the People Power Party's far-right shift, the Democratic Party's responsibilities and roles have increased and changed."
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