Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, met with Kim Kyung-soo, a former governor of South Gyeongsang Province who is referred to as a pro-Moon (pro-Moon Jae-in) faction figure. There are analyses suggesting that this meeting is intended to reconcile factional conflicts within the party, as criticisms of the unipolar system centered around Lee have been ongoing, particularly from the anti-Lee factions. Lee is also planning to meet with former Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum and former Chief of Staff Im Jong-seok.
On the afternoon of the 13th, Lee met with Kim Kyung-soo in the National Assembly and said, "Kim's point that the Democratic Party should take a bigger and broader path is absolutely correct," adding, "I believe all forces that agree on preserving the constitutional order and overcoming internal strife need to come together."
Lee also congratulated Kim on being reinstated into the party, which was approved on the 7th, and urged cooperation. He said, "I sincerely welcome the return of Kim, who has faced hardships alongside party members and has now returned to the party," and emphasized, "It is really important to protect the lives of the people as anti-national forces are currently on the rise in South Korea. I hope we can join hands and move forward together."
In response, Kim emphasized unity and innovation while continuing the dialogue. He stated, "Stabilizing the chaotic national administration as soon as possible and uniting the people is a historic task we must address," adding, "To achieve this historic task, we need to create a broader and more powerful alliance for democracy."
He also commented, "The Democratic Party needs to become more diverse, and the logic of extremism and exclusion that does not tolerate different voices must be overcome. Any policies that could change our party's identity or direction must go through discussion and deliberation processes. I ask that party members be allowed to discuss and present their opinions together."
Kim has previously criticized the pro-Lee faction's party operation methods by directly mentioning "unipolar system" and "privatization of political parties" on his social media accounts. Additionally, members of the anti-Lee faction, including former Deputy Minister Im Jong-seok, have made comments targeting Lee's unipolar system.
On the 29th of last month, he stated, "Many people have distanced themselves or left the party, feeling ashamed during the local elections and general elections following the 2022 presidential election," and on the 7th, when his reinstatement was approved, he wrote, "I hope my return serves as a small opportunity for our party to become a 'larger Democratic Party.'"
Meanwhile, after a meeting that lasted over an hour and a half, Kim Tae-seon, Lee's administrative aide, said, "Regarding the martial law, Kim has continuously mentioned the one-point second phase of constitutional amendment, and Lee said, 'Now is the time to focus on overcoming internal strife.'"