Park Kwang-on, “Next Year’s Parliamentary Elections Will Be a Battle for Expansion. We Will Promote a 4-day Workweek for Working Couples with Children”

Park Kwang-on, the new floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, greets members of the press in front of the party office in the National Assembly on May 1. Yonhap News

On May 2, Park Kwang-on, the new floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea described next year’s parliamentary elections as a battle to expand the party’s support base and announced, “We will become a Democratic Party trusted by the people on economic policies.”

Park shared his thoughts as he presided over a meeting to discuss the party’s strategy on the floor for the first time on Tuesday in the National Assembly. He said, “We cannot win in the elections with only our supporters, and we cannot win by indirectly benefiting from other factors, either.”

Park said, “We will prepare an expansive and integrated vision to draw people seeking moderate reforms, who have withdrawn or withheld their support, and release it regularly,” and mentioned the party’s promotion of the four-day workweek for parents who both work as an example.

The Democratic Party floor leader pledged to restore the trust of the people and the pride of the Republic of Korea with daring changes and solid integration and shared his determination for the party’s victory in next year’s parliamentary elections through expansion and integration.

Park mentioned the victims of jeonse fraud and said, “We define jeonse fraud as a social disaster against the socially vulnerable, and not simply an unfortunate incident that occurred to individuals,” and urged the government to change its attitude on the issue. He said, “Measures to support the victims of jeonse fraud are an issue that the ruling and opposition parties could reach an agreement on most easily,” and strongly urged the government and ruling People Power Party to take this issue as the starting point in restoring politics.

On Tuesday, Park Kwang-on appointed lawmakers Ko Young-in (Ansan Danwon-1, Gyeonggi), Kim Kyung-man (proportional representation, p.r.), Seo Dong-yong (Suncheon, Gwangyang, Gokseong, ,Gurye-2, Jeollanam-do), Oh Gi-hyoung (Dobong-2, Seoul), Yoo Jung-ju (p.r.), Yoon Joon-byeong (Jeongeup, Gochang, Jeollabuk-do), Jang Chul-min (Dong-gu, Daegu), Choi Jong-yoon (Hanam, Gyeonggi), Choi Hye-young (p.r.), and Hong Jung-min (Goyang-3, Gyeonggi) as the new delegation of deputy floor leaders. The new delegation includes Song Ki-hun, the chief deputy floor leader, and deputy floor leaders Lee So-young, Kim Han-kyu and Hong Sung-kook, who were appointed on Monday. His choice of lawmakers was well-balanced including Yoo Jung-ju and Choi Hye-young, members of Cheoreomhoi, a group of hardline lawmakers in the party, and lawmakers Ko Young-in, Oh Gi-hyoung, Jang Chul-min and Choi Jong-yoon, who are members of the Democratic Party’s Way, a group of lawmakers who do not support Lee Jae-myung. He also selected female representatives such as Yoo Jung-ju, Lee So-young and Choi Hye-young as well as representatives of the Honam region, Seo Dong-yong and Yoon Joon-byeong.