Kim writes on Facebook that party leader must 'thoroughly reflect'
Kim Yong, a close ally of President Lee Jae Myung and former vice chairman of the Democratic Research Institute, sharply criticized Democratic Party of Korea leader Jung Chung-rae on Saturday.
Kim posted on Facebook arguing that the Democratic Party is in no position to congratulate itself on its performance in the local elections.
"The party leader's view — that this was a nationwide Democratic Party victory and that losing Seoul is merely painful — is complacent, self-satisfied, and far removed from public sentiment," he said.
He went on to say the party should not be "intoxicated by the overall tally of 12 to 4 and celebrating a victory." He called for a sober analysis of the results, citing the failure to recapture the Seoul mayoral seat — the most critical contest — and the loss of other key races the party should have held.
Kim also criticized the party's plan to establish a local election review committee and publish a white paper on the results. He said the party should not hide behind a white paper or deflect responsibility onto systemic failures.
"The heavy responsibility for strategic failures and their absence must be felt and shouldered in full by the party leader and the leadership," he said. "They must reflect thoroughly and reform themselves completely."
Kim had earlier been passed over for a candidate slot in the June 3 by-elections. The Democratic Party determined that his pending Supreme Court ruling on charges of accepting money from a private developer involved in the Daejangdong development project could be a liability in the race.
Jung, for his part, posted a brief message on Facebook on Saturday — "I sometimes take a deep breath and look up at the sky" — along with a link to a song titled "I Am a Wind That Briefly Passed Through."
moon@heraldcorp.com
