Can Kim Min-seok’s Bid to Overtake Kim Ou-joon Succeed? Democratic Party TV Makes Its Debut

[Financial News] The Democratic Party of Korea has taken its first step in trying to overtake Kim Ou-joon. The internal struggle over who will lead the agenda in the broader progressive camp appears to be entering full swing.
On the 1st, the party revamped its existing YouTube channel, Deli Minju, into Democratic Party TV, or Minti, and aired its first program with party leader Kim Min-seok taking part. Deli Minju had focused on livestreaming major party events and producing videos about party activities. Minti, by contrast, plans to begin with the planned program "Minti07" and continue rolling out a range of other shows.
At present, the morning broadcast of "Kim Eo-jun's Humility Is Hard News Factory," hosted by Kim Ou-joon, a powerful voice within the camp, effectively dominates agenda-setting in the broader progressive bloc. Political circles interpret Kim Min-seok’s move as an attempt to secure that influence from Kim. The fact that Minti07 and Kim’s show both air around 7 a.m. further supports that view.
Political observers say the fierce tension that emerged between YouTubers aligned with the pro-Lee Jae-myung and pro-Jeong Cheong-rae camps during the party convention also lends weight to that interpretation. Kim’s YouTube channel is classified as pro-Jeong.
Minti07’s differentiation strategy is another sign that political analysts may be right. Unlike established YouTubers who focus heavily on political controversies, Minti07 plans to concentrate on explaining policy direction. In effect, the party is trying to build its own broadcast identity by leveraging its policy authority. Analysts also expect more Democratic Party lawmakers to appear on the show, directly state their positions on policy issues, and share legislative plans, making use of the party’s distinctive strengths.
Still, there is a long way to go. Minti07 drew about 50,000 concurrent viewers on the day. That stands in contrast to Kim’s YouTube broadcast, which drew more than 200,000 viewers at the same time. A Democratic Party official said, "It has only just begun. There is still a long way to go, and we need to watch a little longer," adding, "If more programs are added and the direction of the broadcast becomes clearer, it could become a much more competitive show than it is now."
After appearing on the broadcast that day, Kim Min-seok also posted on social media, saying, "Thank you for your interest in the first Minti07 broadcast," and added, "A simultaneous audience of about 58,000, far above the expectation that 20,000 would be a hit, shows the strength of the Democratic Party."
He continued, "This is the beginning of the beginning of the beginning, and the golden age is still far away," and said, "Growth is Minti’s future. Minti’s only competitor is Minti itself. As a high-differentiation flagship broadcast, Minti is a program for party members, supporters, and the public."
Meanwhile, the Democratic Party plans to air pilot broadcasts on Tuesdays and Thursdays for two weeks starting with this launch. It then intends to review viewer feedback and move toward a regular five-day-a-week schedule.
[email protected] Kim Hyeong-gu Reporter