Park Chan-dae, Announces Candidacy for Party Leader… "Complete Legislative Reform of Prosecution, Judiciary, and Media by the End of This Year"

Park Chan-dae, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea (3rd term, former floor leader), announced his candidacy for the next party leadership election on the 23rd.

He declared his intention to complete the legislative reforms of the three major areas: prosecution, judiciary, and media by the end of this year, expressing his commitment to support President Lee Jae-myung’s national agenda.

"Achieve Middle Ground Expansion Through Effective Reforms"

During a press conference held at the Democratic Party's headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, the member stated, "I will overcome the non-existent middle-ground disease and backlash," and added, "I will achieve a true expansion of the middle ground through effective reforms," explaining the background of his candidacy.

He proposed specific pledges, including focusing the party's capabilities on the success of the Lee Jae-myung administration, legislative support for three special investigations regarding the insurrection, Kim Geon-hee, and Chae Sang-byeong cases, completing legislation for reforms in the prosecution, judiciary, and media, cooperating with the opposition while firmly rejecting unreasonable demands, constructing a mobile party platform, and achieving a resounding victory in next year’s local elections.

"A Democratic Party Without Lee Jae-myung? It’s Time for Park Chan-dae to Stand By"

Park emphasized his connection with President Lee Jae-myung. He stated, "The 'absence of Lee Jae-myung' is a significant challenge for the Democratic Party, but now it is time for Park Chan-dae to stand by Lee Jae-myung," adding that this thought has eased his mind.

He further remarked, "During the 2022 presidential election, I served as the chief spokesperson for Lee's campaign, and every crisis faced by Lee, including the election defeat, hunger strike, imprisonment risk, and terror incidents, was also a crisis for me," stating, "I take pride in leading a reform-minded National Assembly as the floor leader, but there has always been a strong tree named Lee Jae-myung beside me."

Park highlighted his relationship with President Lee, notably by wearing shoes similar to the model worn by Lee during his presidential campaign kickoff.

"This Election is Not About Power but Role Competition"… Awareness of Competition with Jung Cheong-rae

As four-term lawmaker Jung Cheong-rae had declared his candidacy earlier, Park seemed to emphasize his trust in his opponent, likely aware of potential conflicts among supporters. He stated, "I trust the competitors we will be facing and fully believe in the self-cleaning ability and collective intelligence of the party members," vowing to engage in a splendid competition as promised.

He also remarked, "This leadership election should not be a power struggle determining winners and losers, but rather a process of dividing roles," and indicated that he would conduct the primary election within this framework of role competition.

The Democratic Party's Preparatory Committee for the Party Convention has decided to hold a preliminary election on the 15th of next month if there are three or more candidates. The regional rotating primaries will begin in Chungcheong on the 19th, followed by Yeongnam on the 20th, Honam on the 26th, Gyeonggi/Incheon on the 27th, and finally Seoul/Gangwon/Jeju on August 2nd.

The voting body will be composed according to the Democratic Party’s constitution: 15% delegates, 55% party members, and 30% general citizens, with the newly elected party leader's term lasting until August 1 of next year.

Image source: Park Chan-dae / News1, Lee Jae-myung's shoes / News1, News1