Former Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon to leave Democratic Party this week

Politics

Published: 08 Jan. 2024, 18:20 Updated: 08 Jan. 2024, 18:22

Former Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon to leave Democratic Party this week

Former Chief of the Democratic Party (DP) and former Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon speaks after paying his tributes at May 18th National Cemetery in Gwangju on Sunday morning. [YONHAP]

Former Democratic Party (DP) chief Lee Nak-yon will officially depart the party later this week.

“Lee will hold a press conference for his departure from the DP on Thursday at the National Assembly,” said a spokesperson for Lee on Monday.

Lee informed reporters on Sunday that he would bid farewell to the party soon and sought forgiveness.

His visit to the May 18th National Cemetery in Gwangju, a symbol of Korean democracy, was interpreted as Lee's first step toward starting his own political party.

Initially planned for Jan. 5, the official departure was delayed following the attack on incumbent leader Lee Jae-myung on Jan. 2.

Lee Nak-yon, who also served as the prime minister during the Moon Jae-in government, had been in contention with Lee Jae-myung during the party's primaries for the 2022 presidential election.

While remaining silent over the past two years since Lee Jae-myung's loss in the presidential election to rival Yoon Suk Yeol, Lee Nak-yon has been more outspoken recently.

He repeatedly demanded Lee Jae-myung step down as the party leader, citing the numerous legal cases against him, including the Daejang-dong development scandal, false statements during the election campaign and illegal payments to North Korea.

In interviews with local media, Lee Nak-yon accused the current DP under Lee Jae-myung of becoming immoral and destroying democracy.

Lee Jae-myung's backers have often attacked DP lawmakers who oppose Lee Jae-myung.

Furthermore, the DP suffered a public backlash when it initially approved the nomination of a close aide to Lee Jae-myung to run as a party candidate in the upcoming election. The nominee, a former student activist, had served five years in prison for killing a man accused of being a police informant in the late 1990s.

In an attempt to patch up their relationship, the two Lees met on Dec. 30. However, after the meeting, Lee Nak-yon made it clear that he was going his own way.

Lee Jae-myung rejected the former prime minister’s demand to resign and create an emergency steering committee.

“There is an existing system within a party, and party members have to respect the will of the people,” Lee Jae-myung said after the meeting that lasted for 45 minutes. “As such, it is difficult for me to resign or accept an emergency steering committee.”

BY LEE HO-JEONG, LEE SOO-JUNG [lee.soojung1@joongang.co.kr]