Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party of Korea presidential candidate, on the 15th, reached out to Kim Sang-wook, an independent lawmaker who left the People Power Party, and said, "I hope you will join our party," adding that he is considering calling Kim to discuss his intention to join the Democratic Party.
On the same day, the candidate met with reporters near the Hwagee Market parking lot in Hadong, Gyeongsangnam-do, and said, "Although Kim took the form of leaving the People Power Party, it seems he was actually pushed out. He made efforts to voice reasonable opinions (within the People Power Party) to the point of being pitiful," adding, "I am thinking of calling to talk about joining."
He stated, "While the People Power Party has been evaluated as a conservative party and the Democratic Party as a progressive party, that is not the case. The Democratic Party is indeed a centrist party," and added, "The People Power Party is a coalition of anti-conservative vested interests, not a conservative party."
He continued, "Can we still form alliances within the People Power Party, where even formal conservatives have given up, in a group that supports insurrection and destroys constitutional order? If the People Power Party cannot transform into a truly rational conservative political group, rational conservatives will have no choice but to act differently. Kim is a representative case."
The candidate's remarks seem to target the large number of conservative supporters who have defected during the People Power Party's primary and candidate unification process. Following the departure of Hong Joon-pyo, a former mayor of Daegu and a prominent figure in the conservative camp, organizations supporting former Mayor Hong recently openly endorsed the candidate. As a candidate who declared himself as a "centrist conservative," he can absorb the deflected public sentiment and expand his base. This is why he has repeatedly mentioned the "reorganization of conservative political groups."
The candidate also said regarding former Mayor Hong, "How desperate must one be to retire from politics immediately after leaving the party?" and added, "I somewhat understand the feeling of wishing he had gone to the Democratic Party instead." He further stated, "I hope rational conservatives will join us."