KOR-Party Members Hurt During National Convention Not Yet Fully Healed
-Lee's Prediction of 'Plummeting Housing Prices'? He Has Access to More Data Than Us
-Evaluation of Cabinet Reshuffle? Appointment of Talented Female Figures Such as Lee Hae-min and Yong Hye-in
-Yong Hye-in's Two Proportional Representative Terms? Shows Her Capability
-Dual Role Controversy Can Be Judged After Hearing Explanations at Confirmation Hearing
-Claiming Kim Seung-won Was Nominated to Drop Indictment Is Short-Sighted
-High Regard for Resolute Stance on Principle of Abolishing Supplementary Investigative Rights
-Lee Hae-min's Appointment Will Dispel Shin Jang-sik's Doubts About Sincerity
-Internal Unity? Centrist Expansion? Can Be Overcome Through Division of Roles
■ Broadcast: SBS Kim Tae-hyun's Political Show (FM 103.5 MHz 7:00 – 9:00 AM)
■ Date: September 1, 2026 (Tue)
■ Host: Attorney Kim Tae-hyun
■ Guest: Choi Min-hee, Senior Supreme Council Member of the Democratic Party of Korea
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Next, we will connect by phone with Lawmaker Choi Min-hee, Supreme Council member of the Democratic Party of Korea. Lawmaker Choi, hello.
[Choi Min-hee]: Hello. Nice to speak with you.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Lawmaker Choi, two days ago you wrote a post on Facebook. The content was, "Why is real estate always like this whenever a democratic administration takes office? Why are cold winds blowing so hard through local alley businesses?" You conveyed the sentiment of your local constituents—your constituency is Namyangju City. How is it? Are local residents sharing many painful and bitter thoughts with you regarding the current economic situation?
[Choi Min-hee]: I hear painful remarks just as they are, such as, "Why are our businesses struggling so much when exports are doing so well?" Both the Democratic Party and the Lee Jae-myung administration are well aware of this, and I believe we have taken our first step toward livelihood reform, starting with the tax reform plan.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Lawmaker Choi, generally after a national convention, a president's approval rating tends to rise temporarily due to the convention bounce effect. However, this time the president's approval rating is somewhat weak. What do you see as the primary cause for this?
[Choi Min-hee]: First of all, I find it very regrettable. The president is working truly hard, and I honestly wish his approval rating would rise as much as the hard work he puts in.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Yes.
[Choi Min-hee]: But I see it stemming from two main factors. First, regarding the real estate issue and the stagnant local commercial districts, the casting-vote segment—often referred to as moderates—is withholding their support. However, when it comes to policy, no policy scores a perfect 100 points.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: That is true.
[Choi Min-hee]: That is why I believe that if we proceed calmly without failing, we can score points again, and that is why we are focusing on real estate and taxation right now. I believe results will follow. A more fundamental issue is that we failed to present an appealing image during our national convention process, and there were attacks and defenses surrounding anti-Lee Jae-myung debates, Shincheonji controversies, factionalism debates, and secret coalitions. Party members and supporters seem to have been hurt in that process, and I think those wounds have not yet been properly tended to.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Speaking of real estate, the president recently posted a rather lengthy message on X. The gist was that if things continue as they are, interest rates could rise, leading to a potential crash in housing prices. He issued a strong warning about a collapse in housing prices, noting that homes burdened by unsustainable interest could flood the auction market. How do you view the president's remarks?
[Choi Min-hee]: President Lee Jae-myung's foundational philosophy is "restraining the strong and aiding the weak to create a world of great harmony." That is correct. His ultimate political goal is to materialize this into the concept of a Basic Society through specific policies like basic income, basic finance, and basic housing. Therefore, regarding this tax reform plan and real estate measures, he will implement policies aligned with his broader framework, and I see his post as an expression of that determination.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Yes.
[Choi Min-hee]: On another note, the president likely has access to far more data than we do. I believe he expressed concern because he is in a position to see forecasts earlier than the rest of us.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: I see. Do you think the recent dip in the president's approval rating is because the core base has withdrawn support in the classic base-versus-swing-voter debate, or is it because moderate swing voters who came in have left?
[Choi Min-hee]: I believe that phenomenon has occurred on both sides. What I mentioned earlier about winning hearts or votes through good policies corresponds to what you referred to as swing voters—though I personally do not prefer that term. Furthermore, our traditional base witnessed intense arguments during our national convention, particularly over who was anti-Lee Jae-myung and who was not.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: That is right.
[Choi Min-hee]: In that process, those who supported candidate Jung Chung-rae seem to have felt hurt, asking, "Does supporting Jung Chung-rae make me anti-Lee?" This issue was not formed solely during the convention period either. When we paid a courtesy visit to former President Moon Jae-in, he placed immense emphasis on eradicating derogatory slurs and division. He warned that we must eliminate them quickly, even if it requires running campaigns, and that if we do not swiftly dispel the culture of hatred and ridicule that has seeped into our ranks, it will lead to grave problems. I agree with that assessment.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: There was a cabinet reshuffle on Sunday. First, I would like to hear your overall assessment of this reshuffle.
[Choi Min-hee]: First, I interpreted promoting vice ministers from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Ministry of Economy and Finance to ministerial posts as the president's commitment to carrying out his philosophy alongside practically competent civil servants. Personally, three women have been appointed to major positions.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Indeed.
[Choi Min-hee]: In the past, female appointments sometimes appeared simply aimed at meeting a 30% quota rather than placing them in key policy decision-making roles. In this reshuffle, tapping former lawmaker Lee Hae-min as Senior Secretary for AI and lawmaker Lee So-young for the Ministry of SMEs and Startups are extremely meaningful decisions. Appointing 36-year-old working mother and former lawmaker Yong Hye-in to head the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family is also a very positive development in terms of advancing female talent into crucial positions.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Yes.
[Choi Min-hee]: Another aspect is the case of former lawmaker Lee Hae-min. Unlike others, the decision-making process for her was not simple.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Right, since she is a member of the Rebuilding Korea Party.
[Choi Min-hee]: The president must have deliberated deeply, and the Rebuilding Korea Party must have contemplated even more. I took our agreement to have lawmaker Lee Hae-min of the Rebuilding Korea Party serve as Senior Secretary for AI as a sign that the Rebuilding Korea Party intends to participate in a broader framework of alliance or integration, and I evaluate it very positively thinking the president shares that view. I worked alongside Secretary Lee for two years on the Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee, and she is highly professional, calm, and someone to look forward to.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Among the three female figures, regarding nominee Yong Hye-in, controversies have arisen over whether it is appropriate for her to maintain her proportional representative seat. A kind of "free-rider" framing has emerged, criticizing her for keeping her seat while serving as a minister after securing two proportional terms through satellite parties. How do you think this should be addressed?
[Choi Min-hee]: That is focusing on the negative side when people criticize for the sake of criticizing. Let me offer a positive perspective instead. Serving twice as a proportional representative demonstrates that she is capable. Moreover, resigning from a proportional seat before taking a ministerial post is not a legally binding requirement. I hope this will be evaluated in a balanced manner. Furthermore, confirmation hearings will be held soon, and I believe it will not be too late for the public to listen to nominee Yong Hye-in's explanations and make their judgment then.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Regarding Justice Minister nominee Lawmaker Kim Seung-won, People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok fiercely criticized the move, calling it an appointment aimed at dropping the president's indictments. How do you view this criticism from the opposition?
[Choi Min-hee]: That is just because they are the opposition party and feel compelled to criticize everything first. In my personal view, the president was unfairly targeted by Yoon Suk Yeol's political prosecutors, and through Yoon Suk Yeol's attempts to eliminate political rivals, even truly commendable actions were framed as wrongdoing and indicted. Therefore, the indictment itself is unconstitutional and unlawful.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Yes.
[Choi Min-hee]: In terms of common sense, the public has a fundamental question: when a politician is unfairly targeted like this, should they continue to suffer unfair treatment under the rationale that "an unjust law is still the law" once legal procedures begin? However, nominee Kim Seung-won is a former judge.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: That is right.
[Choi Min-hee]: Therefore, viewing nominee Kim Seung-won's appointment as merely intended to drop indictments is truly short-sighted. Rather, while nominee Kim appears calm on the surface, he is very decisive when it comes to matters of principle, such as abolishing supplementary investigative rights, and I believe his steadfast integrity was highly valued.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Understood. Before this interview, I spoke with Rebuilding Korea Party leader Shin Jang-sik. Relating to your point that Lee Hae-min's appointment reflects a positive response from the Rebuilding Korea Party toward an alliance with the Democratic Party, he remarked, "The presidential office demonstrated sincerity in embracing democratic and reformist forces through the cabinet reshuffle, but I have doubts about Party Leader Kim Min-seok's sincerity." He even suggested that the party's direction might be misaligned with the president. How do you view these remarks?
[Choi Min-hee]: I do not know what basis that claim rests upon, but the entire Democratic Party evaluates the appointment of Senior Secretary Lee Hae-min very positively. And since those doubts are leader Shin Jang-sik's own doubts, I believe they will soon be resolved.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: In particular, he appeared very displeased with the appointment of former lawmaker Kim Yong-nam as standing vice chair of the Policy Committee, assessing that trust-building measures should come first and questioning sincerity. How do you view this appointment?
[Choi Min-hee]: I will simply take note that leader Shin Jang-sik made those remarks and relay to our party leader that such opinions were expressed.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Understood. Lawmaker Choi, this will likely be our final question. Not long ago, you said, "I agree with Leader Kim Min-seok's centrist expansion line," and also posted on Facebook, "We can win only by uniting with democratic and reformist forces and then winning the support of swing voters."
[Choi Min-hee]: That has long been my conviction.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Then what do you mean when you say this is not a matter of sequential order?
[Choi Min-hee]: It means this: when we think about concrete actions, what can we do to expand into the center? For instance, we would advance policies with centrist appeal, and we would recruit centrist or rational conservative figures.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: That would be the case.
[Choi Min-hee]: Is doing that versus soothing, comforting, and expressing our commitment to stand with our hurt supporters, as I mentioned earlier, a question of which comes first? I do not see it that way. Therefore, people like me can spend more time with traditional supporters, listen carefully to their voices, and pursue policies with broad appeal, while lawmakers who focus on centrist expansion can discover policies and initiatives tailored for that purpose. Isn't that how it works?
[Kim Tae-hyun]: By each taking on their respective roles.
[Choi Min-hee]: Yes. My point was that we can fully overcome challenges through a division of roles. For example, arguing that centrist expansion is impossible and we must only rally the traditional base, or arguing that traditional supporters will vote for us in elections anyway so we must prioritize centrist expansion—such debates, in my view, do not align with reality from a practical and pragmatic perspective.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Understood.
[Choi Min-hee]: Please watch over us.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: You are saying we should divide roles and pursue both simultaneously.
[Choi Min-hee]: Yes. Thank you.
[Kim Tae-hyun]: Thank you. That was Democratic Party of Korea Supreme Council Member Choi Min-hee. Thank you.
[Choi Min-hee]: Thank you.
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※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.
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