Lee criticized for party identity

[Anchor]

Amidst this, Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung, who is advocating for pragmatism and targeting the centrist voters, stated that the Democratic Party should take on the role of 'centrist conservatives' and focus on the right.

Criticism arose from the anti-Lee faction questioning whether he is abruptly changing the party's identity.

Reporter Son Seo-young has the details.

[Report]

Recently, with issues like the inheritance tax reform, Lee Jae-myung has been continuously targeting the centrist voters.

He claimed that the People Power Party were not conservatives but a group that hinders the opposition and disrupts the constitutional order, stating that the Democratic Party should take on the role of 'centrist conservatives' into the future.

[Lee Jae-myung/Democratic Party Leader/YouTube 'New Day'/Yesterday: "We are not a progressive government. In fact, we actually hold a position of centrist conservatism. The progressive camp needs to be newly established."]

In response, criticism poured in from the anti-Lee faction questioning whether he is changing the party's identity.

Former Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum pointed out that the Democratic Party's charter explicitly states it represents the working class and the middle class, calling it an 'overreach,' while former Governor Kim Kyung-soo directly stated that one declaration cannot change the party's identity.

The anti-Lee faction's external meeting also expressed opposition, stating that changing the party's identity without discussion shows undemocratic behavior and a move towards partisanship.

In response, Lee has set out to clarify his position.

He emphasized that he is not shifting to the right but is doing his best from his original position in a practical manner.

[Lee Jae-myung/Democratic Party Leader: "President Kim Dae-jung and President Roh Moo-hyun opened new avenues for South Korea through FTA. The core of living a better life is to eat well and live well."]

In response to Lee's remarks, the People Power Party criticized him for denying the party's direction and accused him of falsely claiming conservatism, following his pattern of impersonating a prosecutor.

They pointed out that it is nothing more than a political show that takes extreme measures to capture the centrist voters.

KBS News, Son Seo-young.