Lee stresses livelihood issues as he declares bid for second term as DP chief

Lee Jae-myung, former leader of the liberal Democratic Party (DP) of Korea, declared his candidacy for a second term as party chief on Wednesday.

Former Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung announces his candidacy for the party's chairmanship in a press conference in Yeouido, western Seoul, on Wednesday. [KANG JEONG-HYEON]

Lee Jae-myung, former leader of the liberal Democratic Party (DP) of Korea, declared his candidacy for a second term as party chief on Wednesday.

"Creating a 'rebounding' Korea is the responsibility of the DP, the leading and governing party," Lee said during a press conference in Yeouido in western Seoul. "In Britain, the government changed after 14 years, and in France, the left-wing coalition won the general election."

Last month, Lee resigned to run for reelection, adhering to party rules that require the chairperson to step down to become eligible as a candidate in the national convention.

Lee, a former Gyeonggi governor and a leading liberal party contender for the 2027 presidential election, became DP chief in August 2022 following his razor-thin defeat in the presidential election to the conservative People Power Party (PPP) candidate, President Yoon Suk Yeol.

He has faced a slew of legal troubles, including corruption charges related to land development scandals in Seongnam, Gyeonggi, during his time as the city's mayor and an indictment for involvement in underwear company Ssangbangwool's illegal cash remittance to North Korea during his time as Gyeonggi governor.

Lee emphasized public welfare as his main agenda, coining the term "Meok-sa-nism" — deriving from the Korean words meok-da (to eat) and sal-da (to live) — to describe his livelihood-centered ideology.

"There is nothing more important than livelihood issues," Lee said. "It is the role of the state and the duty of politics to ensure that all citizens can enjoy sufficient opportunities in a safe and peaceful environment and live happily with new life and hope.

"Solving the people's livelihood issues, 'Meok-sa-nism,' should be the only ideology," stressed Lee.

He further emphasized that "restoring and sustaining [economic] growth" lies at the core of Meok-sa-nism.

Addressing issues such as reducing working hours and tackling low birth rates, Lee suggested labor market reforms, including introducing a 4.5-day workweek and moving toward a four-day workweek by at least 2035.

"Our country, with the world's lowest total fertility rate and continuing to break its own records, must change its labor culture first," Lee said. "We must create a social atmosphere where men and women work equally and raise children together. We must correct the reality that parental leave discriminates against promotion and reinstatement."

Regarding inter-Korean relations, Lee asserted the need to reduce security risks to revitalize the economy and ensure sustainable growth.

"In the divided nation of the Korean peninsula, security and economy are two sides of the same coin," Lee said. "It is better to win without fighting than to win by fighting, and creating peace where there is no need to fight is the best security and economic policy."

Lee reiterated his vision for a "Basic Society," a key pledge from the last presidential election, which includes implementing basic income, basic housing, basic finance, basic medical care and basic education.

He also promised to invest heavily in foundational science and future technologies, particularly AI and renewable energy, to boost Korea's economic growth.

Lee also mentioned his stabbing, where a man posing as a supporter approached him during his visit to Busan on Jan. 2 and stabbed him in the neck, necessitating surgery and hospitalization.

"Since the assassination attempt in January, I consider the rest of my life a gift from heaven and have committed to dedicating myself solely to the people and the country," Lee said. "Even if another blade is directed at me, I will never be afraid or avoid it."

With Lee's announcement, the DP's leadership election is set to be a two-way race against former lawmaker Kim Du-kwan, who announced his candidacy on Tuesday, vowing to "prevent Lee Jae-myung's unchecked dominance."

Lee's bid for re-election as party leader faced criticism from the PPP, which claims it is a ploy to shield himself from legal trouble.

"To protect himself, Lee has arbitrarily changed party rules and turned the National Assembly into a shield — and now, he is recklessly using the impeachment card," said Shin Dong-wook, the PPP's chief spokesperson. "Lee's attempt to be re-elected as leader is like wearing another bulletproof vest out of fear that the first one might be penetrated.

"His re-election bid marks the beginning of dictatorship," Shin said.

The DP was set to finalize the registration of candidates for the party leader and supreme council member positions Wednesday and elect its next leadership at the national convention on Aug. 18.

BY HAN JEE-HYE, SEO JI-EUN [seo.jieun1@joongang.co.kr]