The Democratic Party of Korea's advisory committee met with party leader Jeong Cheong-rae on the 12th and expressed concern, saying, "The ruling party should not only look at its members to conduct politics."
Former Prime Minister Jeong Sye-kyun noted at a meeting of the Democratic Party of Korea's advisory committee held at the National Assembly that morning, "I agree that the owner of the party should be its members, but our citizens are not composed solely of members."
He added, "We must also strive to collect and reflect the opinions of our citizens who are not members." This was advice directed at the party leader Jeong, who has maintained a hardline stance against the opposition and garnered support from strong party members.
Party leader Jeong has emphasized at this convention that he will push forward with the prosecution, media, and judicial reforms supported by his core supporters, under the slogan of "member sovereignty," declaring he would "complete it like lightning."
Former National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang said, "I completely agree with the point that we must uproot the roots of rebellion quickly, like a lightning flash or a storm," but he added, "We must not forget that excess can be a detriment. It is much better for enthusiasm to lead to results than to lead to chaos, but it should not go too far."
He also stated, "The president has emphasized 'integration,' but it is not incorrect for the party to rush its reforms; however, simply doing that will not suffice to seek new politics now" and added, "Looking at the overall flow, politics itself has reached a state of disintegration and collapse."
Former National Assembly Speaker Lim Chae-jung remarked, "While party leader Jeong's statement about wanting to sever the roots of rebellion may sometimes sound extreme, it maintains a correct historical context at its core," and cautioned, "But we must not be extreme."
The advisory committee also called for constitutional amendments and social and labor reforms.
Former leader Lee Hae-chan noted, "This is an important period for preparing media reforms, prosecutorial reforms, preparations for next year's local elections, and constitutional amendments by the end of this year," stating, "Now we are transitioning to a democratic society where communication is essential. That is the sovereignty of the people and the sovereignty of the members."
Lee proposed, "It's not normal to have a five-year single-term presidency. It was something implemented as a temporary measure during the 1987 constitutional amendment," and further suggested, "For the next 22nd presidential election, why not prepare a constitutional amendment to elect a president with a four-year term to transition to a re-election system starting from 2030?"
Former Speaker Kim Jin-pyo pointed to the domestic deindustrialization phenomenon as the global trade order is being reshaped due to the tariff war with the U.S. He added, "There must be good reasons why the corporations have demanded deregulation, diversification of minimum wage by sector and region, fiscal support, and labor policies that advanced countries are adopting," noting, "These tasks cannot be solved without a Democratic Party government."
Party leader Jeong responded, "It seems that the invaluable insights shared will greatly help in running the party," and added, "We should invite them every three months."
He added, "When we concentrate all our efforts for the successful administration of the Lee Jae-myung government, rebuilt by the hands of the people," and stated, "However, the rebellion has not yet ended, and the path to fully normalize Korea is still long and rugged. We must rise vigorously to restore the democracy that has been damaged and the economy that has fallen into difficulty over the past three years."