'Losing 2028 general election would set back democracy'
Former Prime Minister Kim Min-seok said Thursday that President Lee Jae Myung's three major projects must succeed, and that achieving them requires a party leader who works in close step with the president.
Kim, who is running for the Democratic Party leadership, visited the Suncheon-gap district committee Thursday and appealed for support. "Over the past year, I worked alongside the president in government to set the direction for state affairs," he said. "What is the point of just calling the other side an insurrection force and then losing an election? If the Democratic Party loses the general election two years from now — in April 2028 — both the mega-projects and democracy itself will be shaken."
He also warned that South Korea's semiconductor lead cannot be taken for granted. "Korea is No. 1 in semiconductors right now, but to stay ahead of rival countries we need to build semiconductor fabs at lightning speed and keep up the supply — otherwise it will be hard to guarantee that top position in five or ten years," he said. Kim pushed back against People Power Party claims that the government had strong-armed companies into relocating to the Honam region, saying SK Group and Samsung made their own decisions after the government offered strong backing for regional expansion.
Earlier Thursday, Kim visited Goheung Traditional Market and Beolgyo Market before holding a meeting with party members at the Suncheon-gap district committee.
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