'Leaning toward first ruling being upheld'
'Seoul city party chapter reviewing various scenarios'
'Considering most efficient way to unite diverse factions'
Special Inspector regime normalization called 'a step forward'
Democratic Party of Korea leader Kim Min-seok said Friday that he had found no indication the guilty verdict against Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon would be overturned on appeal, adding that he was leaning toward the ruling being upheld.
Speaking on the YouTube program "Minti07" that morning, Kim said he had clearly expected a guilty verdict at the first trial. "There have been various theories and new testimony since the first ruling, making it hard to say for certain, but for now I am operating on the assumption that it will be upheld and mentally preparing myself," he said.
Asked whether his "mental preparation" had a Seoul mayoral by-election in mind, Kim said it did. "Ultimately, it means the likelihood of a Seoul mayoral by-election is growing," he said. "From our standpoint, I think it is better to think of it that way."
He added that the Seoul city party chapter, led by Chairman Kim Young-bae, was already reviewing various scenarios. "A decision should come today, but that is how we are preparing ourselves," he said.
On how a candidate would be selected if a by-election were to materialize, Kim said the party would need to think carefully about the process. "If a by-election situation unfolds, there could be candidates from various factions within the party, and there could also be candidates from outside the party," he said.
He said the key question was how to most efficiently bring together the full range of talent in a short preparation period. "We would have to go through multiple steps in a short time — the question is how to do that in a way that best consolidates everyone's capabilities," he said.
Kim also commented on the National Assembly's adoption of a confirmation hearing report for a Special Inspector candidate, calling it "both a normalization and a step forward."
"It is not an easy thing for any government or any administration to do, but President Lee Jae Myung's commitment to this was clear from the very beginning," he said. "I am fairly confident that corruption involving the president's family or close associates, or lax management of those around him — the kind we saw in the past — will almost never happen under this administration."
He said the president had come this far through "an exceptionally rigorous and demanding vetting process," and added that he believed self-discipline had become deeply internalized in Lee.
On the broader significance of normalizing the Special Inspector regime, Kim said President Lee was someone who had made it a habit to maintain a standing "red team" not only for oversight purposes but also in his approach to politics. "He is like that in politics and in debates as well. I see this as an extension of that," he said.
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