Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Kim Young-jin said that, rather than extending a party leader's term or reelecting the same person, various figures should take the party helm and grow into presidential contenders. The remark is seen as aimed at former leader Jung Chung-rae, who is seeking another term, and former leader Song Young-gil, who is running again.
Kim appeared on MBC Radio on the 2nd and said, "Rather than extending or monopolizing the leadership, having a range of people serve as party leader to broaden the pool, and allowing presidential contenders to grow within that, is how to make fuller use of the Democratic Party's playing field."
He added, "It is natural to become a leader of the Democratic Party through the party chair, be vetted for ability and competence, and grow into a presidential candidate," while also saying, "So I think it is necessary to give opportunities to a variety of people."
Kim also said, "I raised critical views about Lee Jae-myung's extension as leader at the time, and this is a principled position entirely unrelated to supporting lawmaker Kim Min-seok," adding, "Former leader Jung was a by-election party leader with a one-year term, so I think party members will evaluate, in their own way, that he is running more rightly on the basis of his own vision."
On the recent "Roh Moo-hyun legitimate successor" debate that has flared up ahead of the party convention, he said, "Is this legitimacy debate what the public wants to hear? It's a league of their own," and added, "Regarding the role of the party leader, I would prefer the discussion to move away from talking about 'grave relocation,' 'legitimate succession,' or 'historical controversies,' and instead focus on how to design the Democratic Party and how to serve as a driving force for the success of the Lee Jae-myung administration."