Kim Min-seok, leader of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, said hardliners within the ruling bloc have faced criticism for "constantly trying to steer the president or the party while their logic and targets keep shifting," in remarks aimed at the backlash over prosecution reform and the nomination of Kim Ji-yong as head of the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency.
Kim made the comments on the 12th on the Democratic Party's YouTube channel "Minti07," when asked about a post President Lee Jae-myung published on X, formerly Twitter, on the 9th.
In that post, Lee said that while "pure radicalism is itself a problem," the greater issue is "people who lack the ability yet demand senior posts, try to dictate personnel decisions and even national policy, and then, when that fails, launch internal attacks under the banner of radical reform as a pretext." The message was widely read as directed at figures who have pushed back strongly during the prosecution reform process, including Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mi-ae, Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Yong-min and Lim Eun-jung, head of the Gwangju regional office of the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency.
On Lee's remarks, Kim said: "The president values rationality and is open to criticism, so wasn't he continuing to express a sense of unease about rationality?" He added, "I think frustration is the biggest undercurrent." Kim also said that officials "should do the work assigned to them in the most appropriate way, in line with their position and role," describing the president's comments as "a broader sense of unease about expressing views in inappropriate ways that appear to lack focus."
Kim also signaled a critical stance on Interior and Safety Minister Yoon Ho-jung's order for an internal inspection of Lim, who has criticized the nomination of Kim Ji-yong. "I get so many messages asking, 'Why on earth are you leaving her alone?' that I can barely keep up," he said.
"The ruling party can raise issues internally, and it would be better for public officials to raise such concerns in a different way," he said. "It is better to focus on the work one is doing." The remarks were taken as a call for Lim to concentrate on her official duties and as a line drawn against airing public criticism over prosecution reform and personnel decisions.