Early-morning schedule to be adjusted once national audit kicks off
'Minti' channel to take on government policy promotion role
Party leader vows swift rebuttal of distorted information
Democratic Party of Korea leader Kim Min-seok said he will continue his early-morning visits to grassroots livelihood sites until the national audit begins, after which he plans to adjust his schedule. He also said the party's official YouTube channel, "Minti07," should expand its role beyond internal party affairs to actively promote government policies and achievements.
Kim appeared on Minti07 on Wednesday and said the early-morning outreach was part of a broader effort to set the tone for the party following its national convention. "With the national audit coming up soon, wouldn't it be better for the party leader to be the first to establish a livelihood-focused direction for the whole party?" he said.
He added that he intends to maintain that direction until the audit gets underway. "I also have to participate in the national audit myself, so I'm thinking of adjusting things a bit from that point," he said.
Kim said he visited a fire station in the Gangseo area on Wednesday, where he examined issues including aging housing without sprinkler systems and staffing problems in emergency medical units. He said he agreed to review a field request to expand a pilot program that assigns four personnel to each emergency response team.
On the future role of Minti07, Kim said he wants the channel to take on a government communications function. "There are many calls for it to serve not just as a party affairs broadcast but also as a channel for promoting government policy," he said. "When policy is explained in a more accessible way, the response seems to be much better."
He said that while KTV and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism have traditionally handled government communications, the demand and positive response to policy content on Minti07 make a stronger case for the channel to step up. "It's important to bring in lawmakers and local government heads who can clearly reflect and explain the direction of the party and the president's governance — and to do so actively and positively," he said.
Kim said such a communications function is essential. "The name may be different, but I think this kind of government-public communication role is absolutely necessary," he said. He added that the channel, the government and KTV should share responsibility for gathering and conveying to the public and party members what needs to be communicated.
Kim also said Minti07 would be used to respond immediately to false or distorted information about the Democratic Party. Addressing a media report from Tuesday that he was moving to discipline a YouTuber, Kim rebuffed the claim, saying the matter involves an election law violation that arose through the party's standard procedures during the convention campaign process — and that he was not invoking emergency disciplinary powers.
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