Kim Min-seok, the former prime minister who threw his hat in the ring for the Democratic Party of Korea convention on Aug. 17, held a forum at the National Assembly on the 7th. Thirty-one ruling party lawmakers attended the event, effectively making it feel like a caucus. Seo Young-kyo, who is chairing the Legislation and Judiciary Committee for the latter half of the 22nd National Assembly, also stopped by just before the forum to encourage the former prime minister and lend support.
The former prime minister kicked off a series of forums with the first topic, "three mega-projects and region-led growth," moving to consolidate support. Lawmakers gathered even before the forum began, and despite a separate schedule, Seo visited the site and publicly praised him, saying, "Prime Minister Kim Min-seok did an excellent job."
On site were about 30 lawmakers, including Kang Deuk-gu, Kim Nam-geun, Kim Moon-soo, Kim Won-yi, Kim Tae-seon, Kim Hyun-jung, Moon Geum-ju, Moon Jin-seok, Min Byung-deok, Park Min-gyu, Park Sung-joon, Park Jeong, Park Jeong-hyun, Park Hee-seung, Bok Gi-wang, Seo Young-kyo, Song Jae-bong, Ahn Tae-joon, Yeom Tae-young, Yoon Jong-goon, Lee Geon-tae, Lee Yong-woo, Lee Jae-gang, Jang Cheol-min, Jeon Jin-suk, Chae Hyun-il, Huh Sung-moo, Heo Yeong, Hong Ki-won, Hwang Myung-seon and Hwang Jeong-a. The former prime minister focused on "building momentum," taking photos with the attending lawmakers.
Explaining why he put forward "three mega-projects and region-led growth" as the first agenda, the former prime minister said, "The success of the mega-projects is a national task at a time when four years remain in the Lee Jae-myung administration," adding, "The success or failure of the mega-projects is the decisive project that will determine whether Korea lives or dies going forward." He continued, "Since the president has said he will personally oversee planning and implementation, this is a core initiative that both the government and the party must throw their full weight behind."
The former prime minister stressed the relationship between corporations and the government and mentioned a conversation with President Lee Jae-myung. He said he and the president talked, saying, "We have nothing to be cowed by," and noted, "The key metric that separates advanced countries is how the relationship between corporations and the government is structured." He added, "With ultra-large corporations now emerging, it is important to build a fully democratic partnership between corporations and the government."
He brushed off the opposition's criticism of "twisting the arms of conglomerates" as "an outdated frame." The former prime minister said, "Ultra-large corporations are actors that move based on their own judgments and economic interests," and countered, "The government provides infrastructure and coordinates direction."
Lastly, the former prime minister laid out his blueprint for running the party. He said, "The policy committee chair is creating a task force, but after the convention, the mega-projects should be the responsibility of the party leader, and the entire party should move to a system in which roles are divided by part."