New ruling party leader steps up unity drive amid factional tensions

Seoul, August 20 - The newly appointed head of the Democratic Party (DP) has intensified his efforts to smooth over internal divisions and foster a sense of unity within the party. In a bid to foster a golden era for the party lasting for two to three decades, Kim Min-seok paid respects to key political figures on Thursday. He first visited the grave of former Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan in Sejong before traveling to Gyeonggi Province to pay his respects to Kim Geun-tae, a former democracy activist and politician.

Kim's actions come amid residual tensions that surfaced during the party's leadership race. The conflict was primarily between those loyal to President Lee Jae Myung and supporters of former DP leader Jung Chung-rae. Jung had run for re-election as DP leader but faced backlash from some pro-Lee faction members who accused him of prioritizing the hard-line supporters over close coordination with the president on key matters.

Since assuming the party's leadership, Kim has been striving to bridge these gaps. On Tuesday, he honored the late former President Kim Dae-jung, and the following day, he visited the grave of former President Roh Moo-hyun in South Gyeongsang Province. He also met with former President Moon Jae-in in Yangsan, where he pledged to mend the party's internal wounds. Later that day, Kim attended a dinner hosted by President Lee to meet with his former rivals, Jung and Song Young-gil.