Outgoing PM pledges to revive party ratings, prepares for party leadership race

Prime Minister Kim Min-seok speaks during a press conference at an annex of Government Complex Seoul, Monday. Yonhap

Outgoing Prime Minister Kim Min-seok pledged efforts to lift public support for the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) as he prepares to leave his post and focus on party affairs, signaling his intention to run for the party leadership.

He implied that current DPK leaders, including Chairman Jung Chung-rae, were responsible for the disappointing results in the June 3 local elections and the downward trend in approval ratings for both the party and President Lee Jae Myung.

Kim offered his evaluation of the party’s situation on Monday at a press conference, during which he also reviewed his experience as prime minister over the past year, which he is set to leave as soon as his successor is appointed. He is widely believed to be preparing to run in the party’s leadership race, in a national convention set for August.

“Now is the time for the party and the administration to show perfect alignment and cooperation, and for the party to do more than it did before the elections to support the president's governance and work to raise overall support for both the party and the administration,” Kim said.

He said that the president demonstrated great skill during his first year in office, which was reflected in strong approval ratings for the administration, adding that the strong assessments of his time in office had contributed to expectations ahead of the local elections that the ruling party would hold an advantage.

“However, the outcome was not what we expected, so we need to engage in self-reflection," Kim said. “It may be that the election outcome as a whole is dragging down support for both the party and the government, or that declining support for the party is in turn weighing on approval for the administration.”

Kim said that after leaving his post, “I will devote all my efforts to restoring support for the party and, through that, strengthening the Lee administration's governing momentum.”

He has been hinting at a plan to join the party's leadership race. Jung, the current chairman, is expected to seek reelection despite criticism over defeats in the key local election contests.

The competition between Kim and Jung is widely interpreted as a rivalry between factions, one of which favors President Lee's approach and one that prefers those of former President Moon Jae-in. The next leader will oversee and manage the 2028 parliamentary elections, giving them significant influence in selecting candidates.

Election watchdog reform

Kim said he plans to take on election-related issues when he refocuses on party affairs and parliamentary matters.

As for the National Election Commission’s (NEC) bungled election management which resulted in ballot shortages at several polling stations, Kim pledged to push for discussions at the National Assembly for a constitutional amendment to reform the commission.

He said that both the ruling and opposition parties should work together to devise an alternative that the public can accept through “constitutional revision focused on an issue that concerns a majority of citizens.”

Kim said he would work to help younger people take the lead in addressing issues related to the right to political participation, with the government playing a supporting role.

He dismissed the controversy and concerns about the possibility of politically motivated abuses of prosecutorial power related to the president's appointment of former prosecutor Han Chan-sik as senior presidential secretary for civil affairs.

"The president has firmly taken charge of state affairs and, under the circumstances, may have concluded that someone with an in-depth understanding of the prosecution would be better suited to oversee prosecution reform," Kim said.

Concerning Prime Minister nominee Han Seong-sook, Kim said, “Someone even more capable is coming in ... I will do my best to support her.”