President Lee Jae-myung Criticizes Party Leadership Indirectly Over Causes of Local Election Defeat
Summary of President Lee Jae-myung's remarks at the press conference: Rebuke of the ruling party after the local election defeat and internal party messaging Quickly check the key points, including the background behind Han Seong-sook's nomination and the fallout from the party convention
President Lee Jaemyung indirectly criticized the ruling party leadership at a press conference marking his first anniversary in office on the 8th, in connection with the defeat in the battlegrounds of the June 3 local elections. He said, “In golf and elections, if you hold your head high, you lose,” adding that the public should be seen as something to be feared.
Referring to the defeat in the Seoul mayoral election and some byelections, President Lee stressed that posture and attitude are important in elections. He also said the ruling party should become a “vessel” that embraces diverse opinions rather than attacking like the opposition party.
He also described former Minister of SMEs and Startups Han Seongsook, who was nominated as the new prime minister, as “someone who will just work,” and mentioned a change in the role of Prime Minister Kim Minseok. These remarks are being interpreted as having the potential to affect the party dynamics ahead of the Democratic Party’s national convention scheduled for next month.