Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, resigned from his position on the 9th ahead of his candidacy for the presidential election. He is expected to officially declare his candidacy for the presidential election this week and announce appointments such as camp formation. In the future, Park Chan-dae, the floor leader, will serve as the acting party leader and will oversee the management of the primary election and party affairs.
On that day, Lee presided over the 100th Supreme Council meeting at the National Assembly and expressed his intention to resign. It has been eight months since he successfully achieved his party leadership re-election after the party convention last August, making him the first leader to do so in the Democratic Party since former President Kim Dae-jung.
During the 14-minute speech where he shared his reflections, Lee said, “I am grateful to have been able to serve as party leader with achievements over the past three years,” adding, “It is thanks to all the party officials, party members, Supreme Council members, lawmakers, and regional chairs who worked hard.” He continued, “It seems that the situation is better than at the beginning when I am resigning,” noting, “I will now start something new,” hinting at his candidacy for the presidential election.
Lee's presidential campaign announcement is expected to include a message of 'recovery and growth' along with an integration message. Previously, during a New Year press conference in January, Lee identified 'growth' as the top priority. The locations for the announcement are reportedly under consideration, including the National Assembly. In the 19th presidential election in 2017, he announced his candidacy at a clock factory in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, where he had worked as a juvenile laborer.
The primary election camp is also in operation. The camp is expected to include veteran five-term lawmaker Yoon Ho-joong, who is serving as the chair of the election countermeasure committee, along with Kang Hoon-sik (overall), Yoon Hu-deok (policy), Kim Young-jin (administration), Kim Byeong-ki (organization), Lee Hae-sik (secretary), Kim Yong-man (escort), Han Byeong-do (situation), Park Soo-hyun (public relations), Park Sang-hyuk (promotion), and Lee So-young (TV debate). On the outskirts, a policy think tank 'Growth and Integration' has also been organized, led by Yoo Jong-in, former head of the Korea Development Institute (KDI) Graduate School of International Studies.