[Excerpt from the 213th Supreme Council Meeting]

“Each political party should reform its nomination processes
through fair screening and intraparty elections.”

□ February 17, 2020 (Mon.)

■ Lee Hae-chan, Chairman of the DPK

Although the first additional case in the past five days of the novel coronavirus was confirmed yesterday, the rapid and active responses made by the government and medical experts have ensured that rapid quarantine measures were taken. Korean evacuees from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan in China were all discharged from the two government facilities in Asan and Jincheon of Chungcheong Province over the weekend. Korea’s world-class quarantine measures, medical systems, and civic consciousness excels to such an extent that the World Health Organization has requested the Korean government share materials regarding the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Since unidentified cases are increasing not only in China but also in its neighboring countries, however, we must continue to be vigilant.

Over the past weekend, the Democratic Party of  Korea has identified eighty-seven electoral districts for additional contests, nine for votes within the party, twenty-three for sole nominations, and eight for strategic nominations. It is inappropriate to use a term “changing water” in reference to the DPK’s efforts to reform nomination practices for the upcoming general elections. Nearly twenty DPK lawmakers declared they will not run for office and 20 percent of the incumbent lawmakers will be replaced by new faces through system screening for nominees and a fair vote of party members. These are true reforms in the nomination process, which is the right direction for the future of the DPK.

In addition, I am kindly calling on all candidates running for the upcoming general elections to thoroughly comply with the Election Laws. Rumor has it that after the election, there will be massive investigations by the prosecution into violations of the Election Laws. All DPK nominees should observe the law in order not to be subjects of such investigations, thus ensuring that the upcoming general elections are the most upstanding ones.