'Supplementary investigation powers, party member sovereignty not convention issues'

'Merger with Rebuilding Korea Party was mishandled — they must decide'

Former Prime Minister Kim Min-seok leaves the Government Seoul Complex in Jongno-gu, Seoul, after his farewell ceremony on Tuesday. [Yonhap]
Former Prime Minister Kim Min-seok leaves the Government Seoul Complex in Jongno-gu, Seoul, after his farewell ceremony on Tuesday. [Yonhap]

By Joo So-hyun, The Herald Business

Former Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, on the day he stepped down from office Tuesday, took direct aim at Jung Chung-rae — his rival in the race for the Democratic Party leadership — saying the time had come for a different kind of leadership. "You worked hard, you went through a lot, and you achieved things," Kim said. "But I find it hard to see any compelling reason to do it the same way a second time."

Kim made the remarks in an interview with YouTube channel OhmyTV on Tuesday, noting that the party was "experiencing its first real difficulties" in the form of losses in National Assembly by-elections and local elections.

"The past year was a time when the president's leadership — really, personal skill — lifted everything up," he said. "But throughout that period, there was roughly a 20-percentage-point gap between the president's approval rating and the party's. And now the election results are actually dragging the president's approval rating down." The remarks were widely interpreted as holding Jung responsible for the party's performance in the June 3 local elections.

On his decision to leave the prime minister's post, Kim said he felt it was necessary to return to the party and play a role there. "I have my own thoughts on where the party should go and what it should do, and I want to reflect those as much as possible," he said.

He added that the spirit of the age called for South Korea to take a leading role on the world stage for the first time in its 5,000-year history — what he described as the dawn of a "golden era." "From the Democratic Party's perspective, we must help create that era and support the success of the Lee Jae Myung administration," he said.

On two issues that have emerged as flashpoints ahead of the party convention — party member sovereignty and whether prosecutors at the new prosecution office should retain supplementary investigation powers — Kim drew a clear line, saying neither should be treated as a genuine point of contention. "When you look at the overall direction, I have long believed that abolishing supplementary investigation powers is unavoidable — in fact, I was the one pushing to wrap it up as early as May," he said. "The only question left is who can carry out prosecutorial reform better."

He also described himself as "a very strong advocate of party member sovereignty," saying he was among the first to propose a "50-50 open primary" system and to suggest incorporating member votes into elections for National Assembly speaker and floor leader. "I have no objection to one person, one vote, and I have been calling for live broadcasts of full Assembly members' meetings for more than a decade," he added.

On broadening the ruling camp's coalition, Kim said the party must embrace rational reformers, progressives, conservatives and centrists alike. "I believe we absolutely must work to make the party richer and more inclusive," he said. "I differ from writer Yoo and former chairman Jung on this — I think their approach is wrong."

Regarding the proposed merger with the Rebuilding Korea Party that collapsed earlier this year amid internal opposition, Kim said the way the issue was raised and handled caused the effort to fail. "As for whether to pursue a full merger or a looser alliance, it would be best for the Rebuilding Korea Party to make a clear judgment on its own and state its position openly," he added.

Later Tuesday, Kim visited the Democratic Party's central headquarters and the National Assembly before attending the inauguration of the Yeongdeungpo-gu district chief. Upon arriving at party headquarters he said, "Coming back to the party feels like coming home." He is expected to attend a Democratic Party lawmakers' workshop on Thursday, where he will come face to face with rivals Jung and Rep. Song Yeong-gil.


addressh@heraldcorp.com