Democratic Party Leader Kim Min-seok stated regarding President Lee Jae-myung's "structural majority theory" that "while there are internal differences, as well as differences in reform priorities and strategies, from a broader perspective, there seems to be no difference in that we must aim for a structural majority to sustain reforms, succeed, and continue our hold on power."

Appearing today (October 21) on the Democratic Party's YouTube broadcast "Minti 07," Kim said, "A structural majority is an essential task for continuous governance and retaining power."

Kim emphasized, "I think there are merely differences in priorities, points of emphasis, and ways of implementation, and I believe the president emphasized that. I, too, have been thinking about that a lot recently."

He continued, "There have been many experiences where reforms were pursued, only for progress to reverse after power changed hands. Can't retaining power ultimately be seen as the final report card on whether a government was run successfully? Retaining power or consecutive governance can be viewed as the ultimate report card."

He added, "The president has a very firm awareness regarding that point," saying, "Not only the president, but most members of our party share that thinking."

Kim noted, "Rallying our base to the maximum extent on policy and political matters is a constant, and this reflects a problem-solving awareness of how to expand beyond that."

When asked why President Lee brought up the structural majority remarks at this particular time, Kim replied, "Rather than being about the timing right now, it is a consistent argument," adding, "To interpret it in my own way, our approval ratings are facing difficulties. If we forget where to set our direction while overcoming and breaking through the current challenges, we will get bogged down in the present, so I think he emphasized it once more."

Kim stressed, "For any government, approval ratings can fall, and during that process, it is only natural to achieve internal unity and properly coordinate to ensure there are no policy missteps. When there are difficulties, we must unite and even overlook minor faults, but we must never forget where our ultimate direction lies."

Regarding President Lee expressing frustration over the pace of legislation at a Cabinet meeting the previous day, Kim said, "Although a considerable number of bills have been passed since I became leader, there is still such a huge backlog," adding, "Missing urgent legislation has decreased significantly, but I heard from the floor leadership that they will make greater efforts, and I will also pay closer attention."

Kim also said, "Once the parliamentary audit concludes, the budget season will arrive. Ensuring that growth belongs to everyone is the foremost emphasis of our budget and fiscal policy," adding, "I hope people will watch our deliberations and debates surrounding the budget."

(Photo: Yonhap News)