Representative Kim Byung-ki of the Democratic Party of Korea officially declared his candidacy for the next floor leader election on the 5th, stating, "I pride myself on being the member who understands President Lee Jae-myung and his governance philosophy the most deeply."

Kim Byeong-ki, member of the Democratic Party of Korea. /Courtesy of Kim Byeong-ki's office

Representative Kim held a press conference that day at the National Assembly and stated, "I want to run in the Democratic Party floor leader election to faithfully execute the people's mandate with President Lee and normalize our country."

He continued, "I served as the chief executive officer in charge of party affairs during President Lee's first term as party leader, coordinated closely with him, and chaired the candidate verification committee in the last general election, implementing system nominations and contributing to the victory in the election." He added, "Just as I have had the best relationship with President Lee so far, I will create the best party-government relationship as the floor leader to ensure that national tasks are carried out smoothly."

Representative Kim promised the members of the Democratic Party to ▲ hasten recovery of the real economy ▲ completely end the unrest ▲ reform the prosecution, judiciary, and media.

He remarked, "I will establish an economic crisis response organization in the National Assembly that President Lee promised to set up immediately after taking office, moving beyond 'mealism' to realize 'well-being'." He further stated, "I will leverage my experience of collecting fragmented information at the National Intelligence Service to clearly reveal the reality of the unrest."

He emphasized, "President Lee highlighted during his candidacy that he has a clear timetable for reform, declaring that a full-scale reform will commence after recovery of the people's livelihoods." He continued, "I will constantly communicate to ensure that the plans the President has envisioned progress smoothly and derive the best innovation proposals." Specifically regarding judicial reform, he mentioned, "It is undeniable that the judiciary has encroached upon the political realm. Addressing this is not merely a check but restoring stability," adding, "I believe a legal amendment strengthening the stability of the (judicial) system is necessary."

He said to the party members, "I will create a discussion forum within the party like a melting pot, allowing everyone to freely express their opinions," and added, "The conclusions drawn in this process will form a united team that actively promotes a single voice, ensuring every member has the opportunity to fully utilize their expertise in service of the country."

Representative Kim also expressed his intention to be a floor leader who communicates with the People Power Party. He stated, "We need to take the previous government's failure, which did not acknowledge the opponent, as a lesson," and emphasized, "Recognizing the opponent and restoring a politics of dialogue is the first step."