Lee Jae-myung, the representative of the Democratic Party, appointed Kim Hyun-jong, who played a key role in the ‘Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement negotiations’ during the Roh Moo-hyun administration, as a foreign and security adviser. He also selected Hong Seong-guk, who was recruited as an expert in economics during the 21st general election but did not run for office citing the ‘backwardness of the party,’ as a supreme committee member. This is the reintegration of an individual who left the party during the so-called nomination massacre controversy. Amid growing criticism of the ‘Lee Jae-myung one-polar system,’ it shows the intention to establish a response system for an early presidential election by crossing factional lines.
On the 7th, Lee appointed Kim, a former Vice Administrator who came from the Moon Jae-in administration's Blue House, as an international security adviser for the party's representative advisory group and awarded the appointment letter. Although Kim served as the head of Lee's international trade advisory group during the last presidential election, he is regarded more as a figure from the Roh Moo-hyun and Moon Jae-in administrations. During the Moon Jae-in administration, he served as the head of the Trade Negotiation Bureau and Vice Administrator of the National Security Office during the first term of the Trump administration.
Kim noted, “As the second term of the Trump administration begins, countries around the world are intensifying their efforts to respond to the United States' strengthened protectionist system, and based on the experiences from the first term of Trump, we need to be better prepared.” He added, “I will create a strong Republic of Korea by achieving a solid Korea-U.S. alliance, balancing interests, and establishing comprehensive security.”
For Lee, it is expected that he can look forward to diplomatic strategies toward the U.S. through Kim, who interacted with the first term of the Trump administration. At the same time, it also seems aimed at promoting internal party integration by putting forth ‘moderation.’ In fact, the day before, Lee had lunch with Cho Yoon-je, a former ambassador to the U.S. during the Moon Jae-in administration. With the likelihood of an early presidential election rising, he seeks to maintain continuity in diplomatic policies externally while cultivating an image of ‘inclusivity for the non-mainstream’ internally.
On the same day in the morning, former lawmaker Hong attended the party's supreme committee meeting for the first time as a designated supreme committee member. He was appointed on the 2nd as the successor supreme committee member following the resignation of Supreme Committee Member Joo Cheol-hyun, who was allocated to the Honam region. Hong is a former president of Mirae Asset Daewoo and was recruited by then-representative Lee Hae-chan ahead of the 2020 general election. He is a founding member of the think tank ‘Seventh Nation LAB’ led by former floor leader Park Kwang-on of the non-mainstream faction. He stated, “I will be the small seed that creates a new future.”
He also allowed the re-admission of Kim Kyung-soo, a former Gyeongnam governor known as a pro-Moon (親文) legacy. The party leadership approved the re-admission of seven people, including Kim, on this day. Kim had applied for re-admission to the Gyeongnam provincial party on the 31st of last month, and the provincial party accepted it according to their policy, as noted by the Democratic Party. Kim lost his eligibility to run for office and was automatically expelled on charges of manipulating comments with the ‘Druking’ group to assist the election of former President Moon Jae-in, but he was restored in August last year as part of a special pardon on Liberation Day.
On the Gyeongnam provincial party website, there was also a ‘petition against the re-admission’ from members of the pro-Lee faction. After Kim publicly criticized the so-called ‘one-polar system’ recently, the atmosphere among supporters of Lee was strong with the sentiment that “Watermelon (a term referring to the non-mainstream faction) must be blocked.” Last month, the non-mainstream faction, which was effectively expelled during the 22nd general election nominations, gathered in Jongno and held a constitutional discussion centered on “breaking away from the five-year single-term presidency.” In political circles, it was said that this is a gathering of power for the presidential election, but Kim stated, “I will dedicate myself to a regime change through winning the presidential election.”