Kim Byeong-ki, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, was elected as the new floor leader of the ruling party. Kim, considered a strong ally of Lee Jae-myung, has begun to coordinate with the newly inaugurated President Lee Jae-myung on legislative matters.
On the 13th, the Democratic Party of Korea elected Kim Byeong-ki, a three-term member from the Dongjak-gu district of Seoul, as the new floor leader during a general meeting held at the National Assembly. Han Jeong-ae, a Democratic Party member who served as the chair of the floor leader election management committee, announced after the vote counting, "Candidate No. 1, Kim Byeong-ki, was elected as the floor leader by a majority vote."
Kim, who represents the Dongjak-gu district in Seoul, is a former head of the Personnel Management Division of the National Intelligence Service and has been elected as a member of the National Assembly in the 20th, 21st, and 22nd terms. Kim, who is also evaluated as an "information expert," served as the chief deputy secretary-general during the first term of Lee Jae-myung's leadership and held the roles of chair of the candidate verification committee and secretary of the election candidate recommendation management committee in last year's general election.
In his acceptance speech as floor leader, Kim emphasized his commitment to supporting the success of the newly inaugurated Lee Jae-myung government. He also stated that he would strengthen communication between the floor leader's office and the members so that the ruling party, the Democratic Party of Korea, can operate as "one team."
Kim said, "The election by party members, comrades, and senior colleagues likely signifies a request to serve as a bridge for the success of the Lee Jae-myung government," adding that, "I will do my utmost, alongside 5 million party members and 167 lawmakers, to support the success of the Lee Jae-myung government and devote all of myself to the reconstruction of Korea, focusing on the paths of ending discord, restoring livelihoods, and achieving national unity."
After the general meeting, Kim met with reporters and announced that he would establish a new position of "chief of communication" within the floor leadership. He explained that a plenary session, originally scheduled for the previous day, would be held again soon, and they planned to quickly process the amendment to the Commercial Act, which primarily addresses directors' fiduciary duties to shareholders.
Kim noted, "While we talk about strengthening communication during elections, I have not seen that actually happen, so I promised to appoint a chief of communication dedicated to that purpose," adding that, "We will consult on the plenary session and promptly process the amendments to the Commercial Act."