Ruling, opposition parties split over Lee's press conference remarks on second term

The ruling and opposition parties offered sharply divergent reactions to President Lee Jae Myung's press conference Friday. The Democratic Party of Korea defended his remarks ruling out a second term, saying he had made his position clear, while the People Power Party kept up its offensive, calling Lee someone who had "already completely lost the public's trust."

Democratic Party spokesperson Cho Gye-won said Lee had "once again made unmistakably clear his thinking and vision on livelihood reform and national unity, as well as his determination to follow through." Cho added that Lee had also "stated a clear position on the question of a second term."

The Democratic Party leadership canceled a scheduled Supreme Council meeting in Jeju that day. Party leader Kim Min-seok had been set to attend a budget policy consultation and other events on the island, but those were pushed back to after the "chuseok" holiday to accommodate the press conference. Instead, the leadership convened a closed-door Supreme Council meeting at the National Assembly to discuss internal party matters. Afterward, Kim and floor leader Han Byung-do gathered with other senior members in the party leader's office to watch a live television broadcast of the press conference.

Earlier that morning, Kim said on the Democratic Party's YouTube channel that the leadership considered the press conference significant enough to delay its public remarks at the Supreme Council meeting. "The party — starting with me — needs to be far more humble and measured in what we say," he said. "We need to work harder at producing real, step-by-step results."

The opposition also watched Lee's every word closely. PPP chief spokesperson Park Chung-kwon said, "Who among the public would believe what President Lee Jae Myung says now that his approval ratings are slipping? He is someone who has already completely lost the public's trust." Park added that if Lee's stated goal of "a fair country where no power lords over the people" were genuine, he should rescind the appointment of Kim Seung-won, whom Park described as having been tasked with dropping criminal charges against Lee.

Park further criticized the remarks as "a political maneuver to create the impression that Lee considered a second term and then gave it up," saying Friday's press conference was "nothing more than groundwork for reelection" and that the president was "speaking out of both sides of his mouth."

Reform Party floor leader Cheon Ha-ram said Lee's apology and reflection on the vetting failures of his personnel appointments fell short given the level of public anger. "He has stated he has no intention of seeking a second term, but public trust in a constitutional reform led by President Lee has already eroded and does not appear likely to recover," Cheon said.

The PPP plans to keep up its offensive against the administration even after the press conference. The party is set to hold a public rally titled "Report to the Nation on the Lee Jae Myung Administration's Failures" in front of the main National Assembly building on Tuesday, where it will criticize the government and ruling party over the controversy surrounding the second Cabinet reshuffle, as well as key issues including real estate, the stock market and prosecution reform. The party is expected to intensify its public campaign against the ruling side before chuseok before deciding how far to escalate its street protests.

Independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon also pressed Lee. In a Facebook post Friday, Han noted that the press conference had been pushed back 30 minutes from its originally scheduled 10 a.m. start and wrote, "President Lee should face reality."