Kim Boo-kyum, Former Prime Minister, Declares He Will Not Participate in the Upcoming Presidential Election, Citing Need for a ‘Bigger Democratic Party’ and Constitutional Amendment

Kim Boo-kyum, former Prime Minister of South Korea, announced on May 9th that he will not be participating in the Democratic Party’s presidential primary. He stated that the upcoming election should serve as a turning point for a ‘bigger Democratic Party’ and institutional reforms such as constitutional amendments 🗳️.

Key Points of Kim Boo-kyum’s Statement

• Non-Participation: Kim Boo-kyum has decided not to participate in the Democratic Party’s presidential primary.
• Call for Unity: He emphasized the need for national unity and progress toward a new Republic of Korea.
• Constitutional Amendment: Kim highlighted that the upcoming election should be a turning point for constitutional amendments and institutional reforms.
• Broader Context: This decision follows similar announcements from other non-mainstream figures within the Democratic Party, suggesting limited space for them in the primary dominated by Lee Jae-myung.

Kim Boo-kyum’s Full Statement

Here is the full statement from Kim Boo-kyum:

“I have decided not to participate in this Democratic Party presidential primary. I will continue to work with the people to ensure a change of government and the advancement of a new Republic of Korea based on national unity.”

“The Constitutional Court’s decision to impeach President Yoon Suk-yeol is a victory for the great people and a starting point for restoring democratic constitutional order. This election must be a turning point for completely ending the rebellion with a bigger Democratic Party and moving towards institutional reforms such as constitutional amendments for a new Republic of Korea.”

Some speculated whether Kim Boo-kyum might consider options such as an ‘open primary’ proposed by the Rebuilding Korea Party 🇰🇷, but given the unlikelihood of such a primary, his message is largely seen as a declaration of non-candidacy.

An associate of Kim Boo-kyum clarified that the statement was not made with such possibilities in mind. The decision reflects the reality that non-Lee Jae-myung candidates have limited space for activity in the Democratic Party primary, where Lee’s victory is widely anticipated.

Previously, Park Yong-jin and Kim Young-rok also announced their non-participation. Kim Doo-kwan and Kim Dong-yeon have officially declared their candidacy, while Kim Kyung-soo is expected to announce his candidacy soon.