DP shifts into election mode, launches Lee Jae-myung campaign team
The center-left Democratic Party of Korea officially went into election mode by announcing major hires for its new election campaign committee Wednesday with a focus on "social unity."
Among the high-profile hires for Lee campaign are conservative figures including Yoon Yeo-joon, former environment minister during the Kim Young-sam administration in the late 1990s; and Lee Seok-yeon, former Minister of Government Legislation under the Lee Myung-bak administration in the late 2000s.
Yoon, 85, will serve as the standing co-chair of Lee's campaign team along with floor leader Rep. Park Chan-dae.
Also joining Lee's camp are former three-term conservative lawmakers Lee In-ki and Kwon Oh-eul. The two former lawmakers and Lee Seok-yeon will lead the subcommittee directly under Lee that will be tasked with national cohesion.
Besides, figures who were formerly parts of liberal administrations, such as Kang Kum-sil, former justice minister; Jung Eun-kyeong, former commissioner of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency; Kim Boo-kyum, former prime minister and Kim Kyoung-soo, former governor of South Gyeongsang Province who contended with Lee in the recent party primary, also joined as nonstanding co-chairs of Lee's campaign team.
Kim Dong-myeong, who leads the Federation of Korean Trade Unions, was also recruited as co-chair of the Lee campaign committee.
Wednesday's first round of announcement for the Lee campaign recruits was meant to highlight a need for bringing South Korean society together as a community to overcome economic and social setbacks in the aftermath of the martial law crisis that erupted in December, according to the party, which holds 170 parliamentary seats out of 300 at the National Assembly.
"Rather than being ideologically moderate, conservative or progressive, we are pursuing an election campaign committee to achieve unity in society for South Korea's (next) leap forward," said Rep. Kim Yun-duck, a three-term lawmaker who serves as the secretary general of the Democratic Party, in a briefing before the campaign launch.
Kim added the party's election campaign committee will "hear the voices of people in every neighborhood alley" to devise election campaign promises.
The party's announcement also suggested that the Lee campaign team will have 15 subcommittees directly under the auspices of Lee, including ones dedicated to demographic challenges, artificial intelligence technologies, climate change, Korean culture, balanced development and smart defense technology, among others.
Also, 35 more subcommittees combined under the Lee campaign team will deal with four pillars of the Lee campaign, namely supporting people's livelihoods, reducing economic inequality, promoting peace on the Korean Peninsula and achieving futuristic national goals.
On Sunday, Rep. Lee Jae-myung became the Democratic Party's presidential nominee as he cumulatively won 89.77 percent of votes throughout the primary nationwide. Lee is on his third attempt to run for president. The 61-year-old lost to former President Yoon Suk Yeol in the 2022 election by the smallest margin since the country's democratization in 1987: 0.73 percentage points.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Korea Herald
5 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Korean battery-makers push President Lee for direct subsidies
Korean firms seek bolder funding as Chinese rivals leverage robust government backing South Korean battery manufacturers are urging President Lee Jae-myung to act as they face slowing electric vehicle demand and intensifying competition from Chinese rivals increasingly dominating global markets. On May 31, three days before the presidential election, Lee wrote in a Facebook post, 'I will recharge the South Korean economy with K-batteries,' underscoring his belief that the battery industry is key to driving Korea's next economic leap. Lee's pledges included strengthening research and development to secure cutting-edge technologies such as all-solid-state batteries; introducing domestic production tax incentives; creating a "battery triangle belt" connecting the Chungcheong, Yeongnam, and Honam regions; increasing battery demand through energy storage systems; and nurturing the battery recycling industry. Calls for IRA-style subsidies While industry insiders are optimistic about the domestic tax incentives, they anticipate a more direct form of financial support from the government. Lee's tax benefit pledge offers tax breaks for companies producing and selling battery products in Korea, similar to the US Advanced Manufacturing Production Credit under the Inflation Reduction Act. However, AMPC also includes options like 'cash refunds' and 'third-party transfers' in addition to tax benefits. 'If we could receive cash returns, we'd have more flexibility to expand investments in global markets — particularly in the US, where rising tariffs on automobiles and parts are already dragging down the EV market,' said an industry source on condition of anonymity. The source emphasized that additional support measures are needed, pointing out that unlike China, which offers subsidies from direct funding to state-led R&D programs, the Korean government has only granted corporate tax credits. Under the Act on Restriction on Special Cases Concerning Taxation, the battery industry is designated a national strategic technology, making it eligible for approximately 15 percent and 30 percent tax credits on facility investments and R&D, respectively. However, these credits apply only to companies that are generating taxable profits. In the first quarter, Korea's top three battery makers — LG Energy Solution, Samsung SDI, and SK On — all reported operating losses, even when factoring in benefits from AMPC. As a result, they are likely ineligible for domestic tax breaks, despite having collectively borrowed 49.6 trillion won ($36.5 billion) for large-scale investments both at home and abroad. Chinese surge Experts suggest that even with the battery sector's strategic importance, direct subsidies from the Korean government remain unlikely. 'Korea has traditionally been wary of direct funding due to the associated risks and concerns over misusing taxpayer money,' said Kim De-jong, a business professor at Sejong University. 'In contrast, while China provides massive subsidies, it often gains substantial control over the company's management and operations.' Kim added that more feasible alternatives to direct subsidies could include offering discounted rates on electricity and water for domestic production facilities. Meanwhile, Chinese battery giants CATL and BYD have strengthened their grip on the global EV market. According to SNE Research, CATL and BYD held market shares of 38.1 percent and 17.3 percent, respectively, as of the latest period, up from the previous year. LG Energy Solution ranked third but saw its share fall from 12.3 percent to 10.2 percent. SK On and Samsung SDI also experienced declines, with market shares dropping to 4.3 percent and 3.3 percent, respectively.
Korea Herald
5 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Lee likely to meet business leaders later this week ahead of G7 summit
President Lee Jae-myung is expected to meet with top business leaders and heads of major economic organizations later this week, ahead of his participation in the Group of Seven summit in Canada, industry sources said Monday. According to the sources, the presidential office is arranging the meeting for Thursday or Friday, with the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry coordinating final details on behalf of the business community. The gathering is expected to bring together the heads of South Korea's five major conglomerates -- Samsung Electronics Co. Chairman Lee Jae-yong, SK Group Chairman and KCCI Chairman Chey Tae-won, Hyundai Motor Group Chair Euisun Chung, LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo and Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin. Other business leaders expected to attend include Sohn Kyung-shik, chairman of the Korea Enterprises Federation, and Yoon Jin-sik, chairman of the Korea International Trade Association. The meeting appears to be aimed at reviewing both domestic and global economic conditions and gathering input from the business community on key pending issues ahead of Lee's participation in the G7 summit, scheduled for June 15-17 in Alberta, Canada. On his first day in office, Lee ordered the formation of an emergency economic task force, and was briefed on the current state of the local economy and the potential impact of a supplementary budget, underscoring his administration's focus on economic recovery as a top policy priority. (Yonhap)
Korea Herald
10 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Will S. Korea see 'civilian' defense minister?
One of President Lee Jae-myung's key campaign pledges made during his latest run was to appoint a 'civilian' defense minister, referring to a nominee with zero to brief military experience. His pledge came as several high-ranking military officials, including former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, are currently on criminal trial on charges of conspiring in insurrection and of abuse of official authority tied to impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol's failed Dec. 3 martial law bid. The position is currently filled by acting Defense Minister and Vice Defense Minister Kim Seon-ho, who took on the role following Kim Yong-hyun's resignation after the martial law bid in early December. Lee kicked off the appointment of members of the presidential office and the Cabinet last week, and all eyes are on who will become the next defense minister amid growing security concerns on the Korean Peninsula. North Korea's advancing nuclear weapons program, coupled with reports of the Trump administration's potential troop cut of the 28,500-strong US Forces Korea, has fueled the worries. In South Korea, the position of defense minister has usually been held by a retired four-star Army general or Navy admiral. Of all 50 defense ministers so far, only five held the position without military experience. On top of it, most defense ministers were nominated while in active duty or almost immediately after announcing retirement. Though the moves managed to uphold Article 87 of the Constitution of Republic of Korea, which states that 'No member of the military shall be appointed a member of the State Council unless he (or) she is retired from active duty,' it has been criticized for building a tradition that led to lack of reform within the military. If Lee appoints a 'civilian' nominee, it would mark the first time such a person takes office since May 1961, after former Defense Minister Hyeon Suk-ho, who had no military experience at all, stepped down. Sources close to the matter said that Lee is considering the five-term lawmaker and ruling Democratic Party of Korea Rep. Ahn Gyu-back as a strong candidate for defense minister. Ahn is a former chair of the National Assembly's defense committee and a close aide of Lee. He also led the parliamentary committee probing into Yoon's martial law bid. Though Ahn has completed his two-year mandatory military service from 1983 to 1985, he has no professional military background. Meanwhile, the US law mandates a cooling-off period of seven years between active-duty service and appointment to the Secretary of Defense, aiming to ensure civilian control over the military.
