Chairman Lee Seok-yeon Officially Urges President Lee Jae-myung to Leave Democratic Party

Lee Seok-yeon, chairman of the Presidential Committee on National Unity, officially advised President Lee Jae-myung to leave his ruling party, the Democratic Party of Korea, and run the administration from a non-partisan position. Chairman Lee argued during a broadcast on the 18th that the President must step out of the party's fence following the conclusion of the Democratic Party's national convention, emphasizing that the President must feel a heavy responsibility for the current political deadlock and the severe division of public opinion.

Chairman Lee reminded the public that the President has repeatedly stated his intention to become a "president for all." His argument is that to truly become a president for everyone and make national unity the top priority of state affairs, he must break free from the political fence of being a specific party's president. "Leave the Democratic Party to the new leadership and return as the president of the people, not the president of the Democratic Party," Chairman Lee said. "He must govern the state from a supra-partisan stance. Now is the right time."

Rep. Park Jie-won of the Democratic Party of Korea strongly criticized the remarks on the 19th, calling them "absurd," and argued that they go against the principles of democracy and responsible politics, demanding a retraction. Rep. Park stated that it is inappropriate to urge a president, who was elected as a party candidate and has been in office for just over a year, to leave the party.