According to Yonhap, the ruling Democratic Party of Korea held a national party meeting in Daejeon on August 17. Former Prime Minister Kim Min-sik was elected as the new party leader.
The party leader has a two-year term, which grants them the right to nominate candidates for the 2028 Korean National Assembly elections. This has a significant impact on the governance of the Lee Jae-myung government and the power dynamics within the ruling party.
According to Yonhap, as President Lee Jae-myung's support rate continues to decline, Kim Min-sik faces a significant responsibility. On one hand, he needs to work hard to restore the government's momentum for governance. On the other hand, he also needs to bridge the severe divisions within the party.
On that day, before the election results were announced, Lee Jae-myung delivered a video congratulatory speech, calling on all members of the party to focus on the new leadership team elected that day, and to work together unitedly.
Kim Min-sik was born in Seoul in 1964. He graduated from the Department of Sociology at Seoul National University and received a master's degree in Administration from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in the United States. He also earned a Master of Laws degree from the Law School of Tsinghua University.
He entered the Korean political scene in 1991 and was elected as a member of the National Assembly in 1996, successfully re-elected. He held positions such as the Policy Committee Chairman of the Common Democratic Party. In July 2025, he became the Prime Minister of South Korea.
On June 23rd, Kim Min-suk visited his alma mater, Tsinghua University. He reminisced fondly about his time on campus and said, "My academic experiences at Tsinghua University will become one of the most beautiful memories of my life."
