South Korea’s largest opposition party has reelected as its leader a harsh critic of policies adopted by President Yoon Suk-yeol’s administration toward Japan.
The Democratic Party held a national convention in the capital, Seoul, on Sunday. It announced Lee Jae-myung had won his second consecutive term at its helm with more than 85 percent of the vote.
Lee said people are frustrated to see what politicians are doing amid a mountain of issues that must be tackled urgently. He added that politicians’ greatest responsibility is to safeguard people’s lives and create hope. He also proposed a meeting between him and Yoon.
Lee narrowly lost to Yoon in the presidential election in 2022. He later became a member of parliament and went on to head the Democratic Party.
The party chalked up a landslide victory in the general election in April this year, gaining a majority of seats in the National Assembly.
Analysts say the party under Lee’s leadership seems ready to maneuver against the Yoon administration, with an eye toward winning the presidential election in 2027.
Lee is facing trial on several charges. The allegations include allowing private developers to reap undue profits from a land development project while he was mayor of Seongnam.