Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Ko Min-jung holds a press conference at the National Assembly on Wednesday to announce her bid for party leader. [Yonhap]
Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Ko Min-jung holds a press conference at the National Assembly on Wednesday to announce her bid for party leader. [Yonhap]

Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Ko Min-jung announced her bid for party leader on Wednesday, pledging to "take the lead in building a Democratic Party that carries on the achievements of Moon Jae-in that were undermined by the Yoon Suk Yeol government, and supports the success of the Lee Jae Myung government."

Ko made the announcement at a press conference at the National Assembly, saying the public had "taken a switch to the Democratic Party" in the recent local elections.

She said younger voters had turned sharply against the party. "In particular, the younger generation in their 20s and 30s completely turned away from the Democratic Party," she said. "To them, the Democratic Party was a vested-interest group that created inequality and left it unaddressed — a hypocritical force that climbed the ladder of social mobility and then kicked it away." She added that the party had been seen as one that "repeated internal conflicts over issues far removed from people's everyday lives and fell short in looking after the livelihoods of the public."

"It is painful, but I believe the Democratic Party must start anew by acknowledging this," Ko said, adding that the party's task now was to "reflect deeply on where we fell short in the face of the public's warning and seek alternatives."

She called for a change in the party's culture. "We must change. We must set aside the language of labeling and name-calling, acknowledge the other side, communicate, and find alternatives," she said. "We must combine the will of the people with the hearts of our members and supporters, and deliver results — on reform and on people's livelihoods alike."

Ko said internal unity and outreach to a broader public were inseparable goals. "Without unity within, we cannot expand our reach, and without expanding our reach, we cannot win the hearts of the majority," she said. "This is not a matter of sequencing — it is a task we must pursue together, wisely and in harmony."

She went on to say she would work to make the party "a Democratic Party for everyone" — one that represents the interests of the majority and improves people's lives step by step, drawing on "the patience and success of Kim Dae-jung, the challenge and reform of Roh Moo-hyun, and the inclusiveness and leap forward of Moon Jae-in."


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