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| New Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) Chairman Lee Jae-myung talks to reporters after paying a visit to the Seoul National Cemetery on Aug. 29, one day after his overwhelming victory in the DPK's national convention. Yonhap |
New Chairman Lee Jae-myung of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea kicked off his first day in office on Monday with a pledge to cooperate for the success of the government of President Yoon Suk-yeol and to fight any attempts to hurt democracy.
"I hope that the Yoon Suk-yeol government and the president will succeed because success will ultimately guarantee a better life for the people," Lee said, a day after his election as the DPK's new leader in a national convention. "For this, I again officially request a meeting with President Yoon."
He also urged the ruling People Power Party to cooperate with the DPK to overcome the current economic crisis and to allay heightening tensions in inter-Korean relations.
Lee still vowed to keep the Yoon administration in check, stressing he cannot but "fight back fiercely against regression and autocracy that threaten democracy and people's livelihood."
The former presidential candidate, who had pledged to build a pragmatic DPK focused on livelihood issues and refrain from faction politics, said his top priority as chairman would be to carry out reforms for this goal.
Taking note of the faction politics that has plagued the main opposition, Lee said he will inherit and improve the spirit of former liberal Presidents Kim Dae-jung, Roh Moo-hyun and Moon Jae-in on top of reforming the party.
To mark his first day in office, Lee visited the Seoul National Cemetery as part of a customary ritual for newly elects. He is scheduled to pay a visit to Moon at his private residence in Yangsan, about 310 kilometers southeast of Seoul, later Monday in a move seen as reinforcing unity within the party. (Yonhap)
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