Democratic Party Affirms Identity as 'Responsible Party' in Andong in Response to Rhyu Si-min's 'Monarchy' Attack

The Democratic Party responded to Rhyu Si-min’s 'monarchy' remark by taking its message to Andong.

The Democratic Party of Korea held a Supreme Council meeting in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province—the hometown of President Lee Jae-myung—and proclaimed itself a 'responsible party of Andong.' This comes as remarks by Rhyu Si-min, comparing the President to an 'arrogant power holder' and labeling the current administration a 'monarchy,' have spread both within and outside the political camp. Rather than a direct rebuttal, the ruling party opted for the symbolism of location.

The Road to the Term 'Monarchy'

The spark ignited from prosecutorial reform. Rhyu strongly criticized President Lee’s direction for reform, stating it 'reeks of a rotting fish market.' The criticism did not stop there. He characterized President Lee as an 'arrogant power holder' and likened the current situation to a 'monarchy.' The repercussions were amplified as it was a direct hit from within the same camp rather than from the opposition party. The controversy even spread to the broadcasting world after an MBC anchor pointed out that 'conflict flared up because of Mr. Rhyu.'

Reviewing President Lee’s governance reveals the context of the criticism. President Lee ordered the establishment of a police reform body under the Prime Minister’s Office and emphasized during a Cabinet meeting that 'lax discipline and irresponsibility within the police are serious.' His approach involves simultaneously raising the pace and direction of reform for investigative and judicial agencies. However, he has publicly mentioned the need to adjust the pace regarding the timing of prosecutorial restructuring discussions. The structure is such that disagreements within the camp have grown over procedure and speed, rather than the content of the reforms.

What the Andong Meeting Signifies

The Democratic Party’s countermeasure is a carefully calculated move. After choosing the President’s hometown as the venue for the Supreme Council meeting, they raised the banner of a 'responsible party.' This is interpreted as a strategy to overwrite the stigma of 'monarchy' with the word 'responsibility.' It is also a message intended to reaffirm the party’s identity at its political roots, rather than in an auditorium in the metropolitan area.

President Lee is also moving quickly. On the 25th, he invited new party leader Kim Min-seok and floor leader Han Byung-do, along with other leadership members, to the Presidential Office for a dinner meeting. It is reported that during the meeting, which lasted about two hours and 20 minutes, they refined the framework for party-government cooperation.

'Seeking differences leads to the path of enemies.'

This is the core of the 'one team' message President Lee has recently emphasized. It conveys the intent that the President and the party leadership will not highlight their differences but will instead dedicate themselves to governing.

American author Ronald Kessler has pointed out that organizational culture does not change through internal self-examination alone; it requires better leadership. The meeting in Andong faces the same question. Changing the location and slogans is distinct from changing the way power is exercised.

The Balancing Act by the Kim Min-seok Leadership

The burden on the new leader is not light. Representative Kim Min-seok has previously identified the exodus of centrist voters and internal party conflict as causes for the decline in approval ratings. Rhyu Si-min’s criticism erupted right in the center of that internal conflict. To hold onto the moderates, the pace of reform must be moderated; to avoid losing the progressive base, the substance of reform must not be diluted. President Lee’s remark that the party 'must embrace the left more' is interpreted as an expression of this same sense of balance. This is also why some view the statement as being made with the declining approval ratings in mind.

During the party leadership race, Representative Kim directly raised the issue of the controversy over delays in abolishing the prosecution’s supplementary investigation rights. This implies that the leadership is acutely aware of the heat of internal criticism regarding the pace of reform. As he recorded a 15.7% suitability rating for the next presidential candidate in a June opinion poll, the stability of the party is directly tied to his political assets.

Turning the 'One Team' Slogan into Achievements

In the short term, strengthening solidarity is expected to be the priority. This is because President Lee is holding a series of meetings with the Democratic Party leadership and lawmakers to tighten the bonds of party-government cooperation. The 'one team' slogan appears likely to have a certain effect in suppressing internal fissures.

However, it is difficult to guarantee that the 'monarchy' criticism will not be repeated based on slogans alone. The schedule for the prosecutorial restructuring discussion is highly likely to be the first major test. If the timing is misaligned, the 'responsible party' declaration launched in Andong will lose its force. Evaluations of a political party are based on performance, not location. The promise the Democratic Party made in Andong must inevitably be proven in the field of governance.