[Joo Young-jin's News Briefing]
When quoting this interview, please credit the program 'SBS <Joo Young-jin's News Briefing>'. Copyright belongs to SBS.
■ Broadcast: SBS <Joo Young-jin's News Briefing> Mon–Fri (14:00–15:20)
■ Host: Anchor Joo Young-jin
■ Guest: Kang Deuk-gu, Supreme Council Member of the Democratic Party
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● Interview with Democratic Party Supreme Council Member Kang Deuk-gu
"Disappointment regarding Jung Chung-rae... The party leader must work in closer harmony with the Lee Jae-myung administration"
"The most important factor in choosing a leader is the spirit of the times... The next two years must support the 'success of the government'"
"Jung Chung-rae is still stuck on the 'one person, one vote' system and prosecution reform... There is a gap with the path the Democratic Party should take"
"Failed to achieve desired results in the local elections... I am not qualified to run for the Supreme Council, so I will not run in the national convention"
"The local election results are a warning from the public to the Democratic Party... As a member of the leadership, I must take responsibility"
"I do not agree with the claim that President Lee will become a lame duck if Jung Chung-rae is elected"
"The President indirectly expressed what stance Jung Chung-rae should take... This must be taken seriously"
"Jung Chung-rae needs time for self-reflection... Not running might be the wisest choice"
▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: There is a lot of curiosity about the situation in the Democratic Party and the upcoming national convention. Today, we have Kang Deuk-gu, Supreme Council Member of the Democratic Party, here to talk with us. Welcome, Supreme Council Member.
▶ Kang Deuk-gu / Democratic Party Supreme Council Member: Hello. I am Kang Deuk-gu. Nice to meet you.
▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: I have only seen you on screen before. Former Representative Jung Chung-rae has resigned, and the national convention phase is now in full swing. What is the current situation of the Democratic Party leadership? The representative has stepped down, and the Supreme Council members are all still working, correct?
▶ Kang Deuk-gu / Democratic Party Supreme Council Member: The Supreme Council members remain as they are, with only Representative Lee Un-ju having resigned. As for the party leader, the floor leader is serving as the acting leader.
▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: Acting leader.
▶ Kang Deuk-gu / Democratic Party Supreme Council Member: Yes, that is correct.
▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: So until August 17, it is a sort of caretaker system to properly manage the national convention.
▶ Kang Deuk-gu / Democratic Party Supreme Council Member: Managing the national convention is important, but at the same time, current issues keep coming up, don't they?
▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: And starting today, the July extraordinary session of the National Assembly also begins.
▶ Kang Deuk-gu / Democratic Party Supreme Council Member: Yes. That is why the Supreme Council is doing its best to address those issues, centered around the acting leader.
▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: The remarks you made during this morning's Democratic Party Supreme Council meeting were shown in the video clip just a moment ago. You said, "Could it be that we stepped on the brakes while the President was running?" and "A ship cannot have two captains." Naturally, reporters wrote articles with various interpretations of these comments. Many interpretive articles suggested that you were criticizing then-Representative Jung Chung-rae for playing his own politics, or that you were implying Jung stepped on the brakes while President Lee Jae-myung was pressing the accelerator. Did you actually mean it that way?
▶ Kang Deuk-gu / Democratic Party Supreme Council Member: To put it exactly as it is, saying "a ship cannot have two captains" means we need to run a three-legged race.
▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: A three-legged race.
▶ Kang Deuk-gu / Democratic Party Supreme Council Member: We are the ruling party. The ruling party shares its fate with the Lee Jae-myung administration. That is why I spoke from the perspective that the party leader and the President must run a three-legged race. Therefore, the party leader must support the Lee Jae-myung administration so that it can work properly. In that regard, my message was that there is some disappointment regarding Representative Jung Chung-rae.
▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: But wasn't your phrasing quite strong to be considered just "disappointment" at times?
▶ Kang Deuk-gu / Democratic Party Supreme Council Member: Was it strong? There were aspects of that. However, Representative Jung Chung-rae has stepped down from the party leadership and announced he will run for the leadership again. So while there is disappointment, and while the final judgment on the relationship between President Lee Jae-myung and our party leader lies with the party members and the public, I spoke from the perspective of wishing for closer coordination with the Lee Jae-myung administration.
▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: So the party members and the public will choose and judge which politician is suitable as the Democratic Party leader for the success of President Lee Jae-myung and the Lee Jae-myung administration.
▶ Kang Deuk-gu / Democratic Party Supreme Council Member: This national convention is about forming a new leadership for the next two years. I believe the most important factor when judging and choosing a leader is the spirit of the times. If the spirit of the times over the past year was clearing out rebellious forces, helping the Lee Jae-myung administration establish itself properly, and winning the local elections, then the historical duty for the next two years—most importantly, as the Lee Jae-myung administration enters its second year—is to work properly and produce results. There are no elections for the next two years. Therefore, first, we must properly support the success of the Lee Jae-myung administration. Second, there must be an organic relationship and communication among the party, the government, and Cheong Wa Dae. And my view is that we need leadership with the capability and future strategy to well-support major national tasks, including the so-called "Mega 3 Projects," from within the party.
▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: Listening to you, it seems there is a sense of disappointment and criticism implied—paradoxically, that this was not the case over the past year.
▶ Kang Deuk-gu / Democratic Party Supreme Council Member: For the past year, I believe Representative Jung Chung-rae played a role in clearing out rebellious forces and pushing for prosecution reform. As I just said, Jung Chung-rae did contribute to the spirit of the times over the past year. However, looking at his recent messages preparing for the next national convention, he is still stuck within the framework of the "one person, one vote" system and prosecution reform. I do not believe that kind of leadership aligns with the spirit and demands of the times for the next two years.
▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: Issues of livelihood, the public's livelihood, and future growth engines.
▶ Kang Deuk-gu / Democratic Party Supreme Council Member: Livelihood issues and future growth engines are, in fact, the core of President Lee Jae-myung's state administration.
▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: That would be pragmatism.
▶ Kang Deuk-gu / Democratic Party Supreme Council Member: It is pragmatism. From that perspective, I must speak honestly: there is a gap between the messages currently sent by Representative Jung Chung-rae and the path that South Korea, and by extension the Democratic Party, must take over the next two years under President Lee Jae-myung.
▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: You mentioned that you will not run for election again, correct?
▶ Kang Deuk-gu / Democratic Party Supreme Council Member: Yes, that is what I said.
▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: Why is that? You could run again and step forward to contribute once more as a member of the Democratic Party leadership for the success of the Lee Jae-myung administration. Why are you not running?
▶ Kang Deuk-gu / Democratic Party Supreme Council Member: Typically, the local elections, general elections, and presidential elections are the biggest elections. If we lose in such major elections, or if the atmosphere is such that we cannot call it a victory, the leadership must take responsibility. Therefore, I believe I am not qualified to run in the next election. That is why I said I will not run.
▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: Do you believe we lost the local elections, including the parliamentary by-elections? Or do you think we just failed to achieve the desired results?
▶ Kang Deuk-gu / Democratic Party Supreme Council Member: There is an aspect of failing to achieve the desired results. For example, we did not win where we should have, including the Seoul mayoral race. Therefore, to conclude, looking at the public opinion polls and the thoughts of our citizens and party members, my stance is the same as theirs. We did not win this election. I can say that, in the grand scheme of things, it was a lost election, leaving much to be desired.
▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: What do you think is the public sentiment reflected in those election results?
▶ Kang Deuk-gu / Democratic Party Supreme Council Member: I think it is a warning card to the Democratic Party. The reality is this: normally, when holding an election, especially a local election, the president's approval rating is the most important standard for voting.
▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: That is true.
▶ Kang Deuk-gu / Democratic Party Supreme Council Member: In public opinion polls, when asked multiple times before the local elections what the most important standard for voting was, people said it was the evaluation of the president's state administration. Despite that, we failed to achieve results corresponding to his high approval rating. I believe that, as a member of the leadership, I must naturally take responsibility for this.
▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: A warning from the public.
▶ Kang Deuk-gu / Democratic Party Supreme Council Member: It is a warning from the public.
▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: The President felt the same way, didn't he?
▶ Kang Deuk-gu / Democratic Party Supreme Council Member: The President also said he would take the results heavily, but only Representative Jung Chung-rae used the term "landslide victory" when, for example, the final results of the Seoul mayoral election were not yet out. Then he called it a victory. Even now, he still calls it a victory.
▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: So the evaluations are completely different?
▶ Kang Deuk-gu / Democratic Party Supreme Council Member: The evaluations are different. However, looking objectively at the flow of public opinion and the sentiment within the party, the majority believes that terms like "landslide victory" or "victory" are inappropriate for defining the outcome of this election.
▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: As a member of the leadership, you must have had many conversations with Representative Jung Chung-rae from up close. But over the past year, even after you became a Supreme Council member, were there moments where you felt Cheong Wa Dae and the party were clashing, thinking "this shouldn't be happening"?
▶ Kang Deuk-gu / Democratic Party Supreme Council Member: What I find regrettable is that the leadership must always share political judgments and concerns. But when the President is abroad or hosting important events, and the party releases major messages at those times, it disperses attention when the party and Cheong Wa Dae should be united. I have regrets about those kinds of things. There are a few instances like that.
▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: There are things that you might speak about someday, right?
▶ Kang Deuk-gu / Democratic Party Supreme Council Member: Naturally, as time passes, I plan to talk more about what I felt back then when Representative Jung Chung-rae was the active leader, but for now...
▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: Just a moment ago, the panels on our political talk segment discussed this as well. Some evaluated that "if former Representative Jung Chung-rae is re-elected, President Lee Jae-myung's administration will face a complete lame-duck status early on." On the other hand, others say, "If former Representative Jung Chung-rae runs this time and loses, his political career is practically over." We even discussed whether there has ever been such a make-or-break battle in the early stages of a ruling party's term.
▶ Kang Deuk-gu / Democratic Party Supreme Council Member: We are in the transition period from the first year to the second year of governance. When we hold a majority of seats and the President's approval rating is high, common sense dictates that we should empower the President. However, looking at it very coldly, while I do not agree with the claim that President Lee will become a lame duck if Jung Chung-rae is elected, the framing of this national convention is that intense. Is there anyone who wants the President to become a lame duck? Except for some in the People Power Party, we must empower the President by any means. That is why I think such a frame itself is incorrect. Nevertheless, we must seriously ponder why people say a lame-duck status will occur if Jung Chung-rae is elected. And the saying that if Jung Chung-rae fails, his political career is over—in fact, the President seems to have indirectly expressed several times what political stance he hopes Jung Chung-rae would take. Shouldn't Jung Chung-rae take these points seriously? That is why I wonder if it is right for Jung Chung-rae to run this time. To share my honest personal thoughts: Jung Chung-rae has his own role in the party, but if his election leads to a presidential lame duck and his defeat ends his political career, then shouldn't the solution be for Jung Chung-rae not to run? In a way, doesn't Jung Chung-rae need some time for self-reflection? Going this way is truly extreme—where you can neither choose this nor that. In such a situation, Jung Chung-rae will surely do everything he can to find a way to win. But then, would that lead to a presidential lame duck? Would our party members agree with that? And Jung Chung-rae is a capable person, but if he loses and vanishes from politics, wouldn't that also be regrettable? Therefore, I think it might be the wisest choice for Jung Chung-rae not to run this time.
▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: Who do you think should become the next party leader?
▶ Kang Deuk-gu / Democratic Party Supreme Council Member: Rather than naming a specific person, as I just mentioned, I believe the most important thing is the spirit of the times. From the perspective of a party leader and a leader who fits the spirit of the times, I believe it should be someone who can work in harmony with the President and properly support the President's state administration. We also need competent leadership because, to actually produce administrative results from now on, including the "Mega 3 Projects," a competent leader must have a proper strategic direction and concretely build a grand vision. Sometimes they must legislate ahead of the government, and sometimes they must set the broad policy direction ahead of the government. Therefore, I believe a competent, capable ruling party leader with a strategic mindset is the most important condition for leadership over the next two years.
▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: Understood. I heard you are close with former Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, who announced his candidacy today?
▶ Kang Deuk-gu / Democratic Party Supreme Council Member: We are close personally.
▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: Personally. I see. Since you are currently a member of the Supreme Council leadership, you cannot campaign or do anything like that, correct?
▶ Kang Deuk-gu / Democratic Party Supreme Council Member: Well, a personal stance is a different matter.
▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: I see. How do you plan to pursue politics in the future, Supreme Council Member Kang? First, you will be stepping down from the leadership.
▶ Kang Deuk-gu / Democratic Party Supreme Council Member: I will be returning to being a backbencher.
▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: Returning as a backbencher, what kind of politics do you want to practice?
▶ Kang Deuk-gu / Democratic Party Supreme Council Member: The ruling party is a position responsible for the nation's vision and the lives of the people. In a way, we fought for three years during the Yoon Suk-yeol administration. Now, we must support the state administration of the Lee Jae-myung government, take responsibility for the lives of the people, and properly craft policies and agendas to prepare for the future of South Korea. I believe that is what the public wants. With a desperate heart, considering that this society has more than a few social agendas we need to worry about, including the widening gap between the rich and the poor and issues involving young people, if the 300 members of the National Assembly could each focus on one agenda for two years, think deeply about it, and produce results, that would mean two agendas over four years (two years in the first half, two years in the second half). Then, wouldn't we see results from 600 agendas? I believe moving in that direction is the image of the Democratic Party that members and the public desire, and it is the direction lawmakers should take.
▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: Understood. That was our interview with Democratic Party Supreme Council Member Kang Deuk-gu. For the things we couldn't cover today, we will invite you back next time to hear more.
▶ Kang Deuk-gu / Democratic Party Supreme Council Member: Understood. Thank you.
▷ Joo Young-jin / Anchor: Thank you for your time.
▶ Kang Deuk-gu / Democratic Party Supreme Council Member: Thank you.
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