Democratic Party of Korea leadership candidates sit side by side at the Korea Local Democracy and Decentralization Council (KLDC) meeting held at the National Assembly members' office building on Sunday. From left: former Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, lawmaker Song Young-gil and former party leader Jung Chung-rae. [Yonhap]
Democratic Party of Korea leadership candidates sit side by side at the Korea Local Democracy and Decentralization Council (KLDC) meeting held at the National Assembly members' office building on Sunday. From left: former Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, lawmaker Song Young-gil and former party leader Jung Chung-rae. [Yonhap]

Former Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, a candidate in the Democratic Party of Korea's leadership primary, on Sunday again criticized former party leader Jung Chung-rae over a failed merger proposal with the Rebuilding Korea Party ahead of local elections, saying Jung "failed to pull it off by ignoring proper procedure."

Speaking at a National Assembly event titled "Kim Min-seok's Hundred Questions, Hundred Answers," Kim said Jung "bears great responsibility for failing to achieve the merger by excluding the deliberation and debate that were absolutely necessary for the process."

On the question of a merger with the Rebuilding Korea Party, Kim said the precondition must be that "all members of both the Democratic Party and the Rebuilding Korea Party agree," while adding that "in terms of form, it can only be considered as an absorption merger by the Democratic Party."

Kim also addressed the controversy over his absence from the National Assembly vote to lift the Dec. 3 emergency martial law declaration, for which he had previously said he "took cold medicine and fell asleep." Supreme Council member Lee Sung-yoon, an ally of Jung, recently pressed him by asking what the medicine's ingredients were. Kim fired back Sunday, asking why someone "who isn't even a pharmacist" would take such an interest in a drug's ingredients — then produced the original prescription and read out each ingredient aloud.

He then said that "continuing to raise the issue even after showing all the ingredients is the kind of thing a Daejang-dong prosecutor would do," and added, "Whether or not they apologize is a matter of their own conscience, but I believe those who ordinarily lack such conscience have no business being in politics."

Kim also rebuffed criticism from some within the party that he had delayed the decision to abolish prosecutors' supplementary investigative powers. "I consistently held the position that abolishing the supplementary investigative powers was the right course, and I said it should be done by the end of May," he said. "It was the party that delayed it for various reasons so it would not be handled within May."

Kim unveiled campaign pledges for the party leadership race, promising to establish a "comprehensive youth policy advisory council" to address every issue young people face, with himself serving directly as its head. He also pledged to "drive a sweeping push for unity and expanded solidarity" if elected party leader.

Kim called for the elimination of dual party membership, urging Democratic Party members to "voluntarily launch a campaign to clear out dual memberships during the party convention period, before resorting to the law."

He further said he would block any electoral interference by the Shincheonji Church at the upcoming party convention. "I will eradicate Shincheonji's interference in the election," he said. "If anyone participates in the vote under Shincheonji's direction, ties or obedience, I will ensure every such act is dealt with strictly in the name of the law."


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