Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Kim Young-jin. [Yonhap]
Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Kim Young-jin. [Yonhap]

Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Kim Young-jin said Thursday that Supreme Council member Lee Sung-yoon should resign from the party leadership before continuing his attacks on former Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, arguing that a party leader campaigning against a specific candidate is inappropriate.

"It is not appropriate for a referee to keep running a campaign against a specific player," Kim said. "If someone wants to make that kind of statement, it would be right to resign from the Supreme Council first and then speak freely."

Kim made the remarks on SBS Radio's "Kim Tae-hyun's Politics Show" Thursday morning, saying, "The Democratic Party leadership is fundamentally a referee."

The comments came after Lee posted on Facebook on Wednesday accusing the former prime minister of missing the National Assembly vote to lift martial law declared by former President Yoon Suk Yeol. "Every single vote in the National Assembly was precious for lifting Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law," Lee wrote. "Party members are asking again: why did he not take part in the vote to lift martial law?"

Lee had raised similar questions on Monday, asking Kim Min-seok, "You were absent from the National Assembly vote to lift Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law — why did you not participate?" and pressing him on what cold medicine he had taken, after Kim said he had taken medication and fallen asleep at the time. The former prime minister pushed back, calling the claims "defamation based on false facts" and saying he had been inside the National Assembly at the time of the vote.

Kim Young-jin said he believed it was the first time a Supreme Council member or party leader had gone after a specific candidate in such a manner.

"There is a line that needs to be observed," he said. "If someone wants to say those things, I think they need to step down from the leadership and speak freely." He added that Lee should verify his own questions himself.

Kim nonetheless said the decision on whether to resign was Lee's own to make. "The Democratic Party leadership needs to manage elections properly, in a manner befitting the leadership — that is the principled point I am making," he added.


sunpine@heraldcorp.com