Courtesy of the Democratic Party of Korea's Friday livelihood squad
Courtesy of the Democratic Party of Korea's Friday livelihood squad

The Democratic Party of Korea's Friday livelihood squad, an outreach initiative led by Rep. Park Ji-won, launched its first round of activities on Friday, the first Friday of September. The party said Thursday, "Democratic Party lawmakers took part across the country to begin livelihood politics that touches the public."

According to the squad, 118 of the party's 154 lawmakers — excluding those serving as Cabinet ministers — voluntarily took part in the first round of activities. Most lawmakers were active on Friday, while those with scheduling conflicts carried out livelihood-related engagements over the weekend.

The squad is a voluntary network in which Democratic Party lawmakers and local chapter chairs meet directly with residents every Friday. They share complaints and policy proposals gathered in the field with the entire party, then forward key issues to the government and Cheong Wa Dae for resolution.

The squad's second round of activities begins Friday. A squad official said, "We expect livelihood politics — in which more Democratic Party lawmakers and local chapter chairs go out among the people and communicate directly with residents — to spread further."

In addition, the squad selected and released exemplary cases from its first week of activities, taking into account direct communication with residents and diverse, proactive livelihood engagement.

Among them, Rep. Park Ji-won, the squad's leader, has continued a practice of traveling to his constituency every Friday and returning to the National Assembly on Monday. He has kept up this routine since entering the 18th National Assembly in 2008. During the squad's first activity, he toured Haenam, Wando and Jindo counties, meeting with many residents through discussions on local issues, community events and complaint consultations.

Courtesy of the Democratic Party of Korea's Friday livelihood squad
Courtesy of the Democratic Party of Korea's Friday livelihood squad

Rep. Lee Hun-gi, the squad's coordinator, has toured markets, shopping streets and alleys in a designated neighborhood of his constituency for seven to eight hours every Friday. He has kept up the routine since entering the 22nd National Assembly in June 2024.

During the squad's first activity, he spent seven hours visiting three traditional markets, a local festival, reconstruction and retaining-wall construction sites, and local institutions and shops. He listened directly to residents' complaints and concerns.

Multiterm lawmakers who set examples were also recognized. Rep. Kim Tae-nyeon, serving his fifth term, signed a pledge board for the squad's activities together with city and provincial council members. He also visited local festivals, a cultural street and Moran Market, demonstrating cooperation between the central party and local communities. Former National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-sik, also serving his fifth term, expanded the on-site complaint office he has operated in Nowon-gu since 2022 into a squad activity. He worked alongside city and district council members.

Going forward, the squad plans to actively use its name and concentrate activities on Fridays. It aims to emphasize direct communication with residents and listening to complaints and policy proposals over simply attending events. The squad also plans to expand participation by local chapter chairs without Assembly seats and proportional-representation lawmakers, and spread the practice across the party by highlighting exemplary cases.

Rep. Lee Hun-gi said, "Many sunbae — senior lawmakers — and colleagues took part starting from our very first activity, launched just two days after the squad's founding. We will build a natural culture in which the Democratic Party goes out among the people every Friday, sharing and encouraging one another's activities and achievements. We will make sure the complaints and policy proposals gathered in the field are shared across the entire party and translated into actual policy, legislative and budget outcomes, so people will say, 'Life changes when you meet a Democratic Party lawmaker.'"

Democratic Party leader Kim Min-seok, speaking at the party's Supreme Council meeting on Friday, the squad's first day of activity, said, "The Friday livelihood squad means that while the public is out having a drink on TGIF, our party will be out in the field." He added, "I will turn the Friday livelihood squad into the Democratic Party's frontline unit."


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