Kim Min-seok on Rhyu Si-min’s criticism of “dismantling political camps”: “I was angry in the past, but there’s no need to assess it now”

[Financial News] Kim Min-seok, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, refrained from responding directly on the 29th to writer Rhyu Si-min’s criticism of President Lee Jae Myung and the Democratic Party over “dismantling political camps,” saying, “I used to get quite angry, but now I don’t think there’s much need to assess it or anything like that.”
Appearing by phone on the Democratic Party’s official YouTube program Minti07 that day, Kim was asked about Rhyu’s recent remarks. “During the last party convention, I did get quite angry hearing the various things Mr. Rhyu said outside the party,” he said.
Kim said, “Rhyu has often made remarks in that vein since the days of President Kim Dae-jung and keeps making them, so personally I think there may not be much need to assess them.”
“I assume Rhyu has decided to keep making those kinds of remarks,” he said, drawing a line. “I don’t think I need to comment on each one.”
He did, however, voice concern over the possibility of divisions within the party. “Our party is facing difficulties both internally and externally right now,” Kim said. “At a time like this, the best thing to do is, as much as possible, not to answer divisive language with divisive language, but to use language that is even a little less divisive, or exercise restraint so as not to make such issues bigger at all.” He added, “I intend to do the same.”
He also pushed back against Rhyu’s criticism that Minti07, the Democratic Party’s official broadcast, was intended to dismantle political camps rather than unite them.
“Minti is the party’s official broadcast,” Kim said. He explained, “Kim Nam-jun had served as a Blue House spokesperson and was capable of handling public relations well, so he took up the post of public relations committee chair and launched the party’s official broadcast.”
He added, “There doesn’t seem to be much disagreement over the assessment that a political party launched an official broadcast and got it established relatively quickly. I don’t think there’s any need to view even this through a partisan or factional lens.”

[email protected] Kim Kyung-min Reporter