Rep. Lee Jae-myung, leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), speaks during a New Year's press conference at the National Assembly in Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap

Rep. Lee Jae-myung, leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), pledged to take a pragmatic approach to address the political unrest caused by President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law declaration on Dec. 3, while also focusing on driving economic growth.

He made the remarks at a New Year press conference on Thursday, aiming to distance himself from his image as a progressive, which often led to perceptions that he was more focused on social equality than economic issues. Lee noted, "Recovery and growth are the most urgent and important tasks we face."

Recently, Lee has been placing greater emphasis on the economy and people's livelihoods, shifting his focus away from the political crisis surrounding Yoon's impeachment proceedings. His economic message is aimed at attracting moderate voters who have recently gravitated toward the ruling conservative party.

Recent polls indicate that the approval rating for the ruling People Power Party (PPP) has surpassed that of the DPK, despite the ongoing criminal investigation into Yoon due to his martial law declaration.

The DPK has been pressuring the government to draft a supplementary budget to boost sluggish domestic demand.

"Over the past two years, much has been lost and destroyed due to the Yoon administration's mismanagement and his outdated coup attempt," Lee said. "Economic polarization is the root cause of both social and political divisions in Korea, a trend that is affecting governments worldwide. Achieving fair growth can pave the way for sustainable growth."

Lee advised the government to support the private sector by getting rid of regulations that hinder efforts to promote business activities.

"South Korea's economy must be driven by the private sector, fueled by their expertise and creativity," he said.

The opposition leader also called for advancing the country's capital market by addressing the so-called "Korea discount." He suggested that "sales diplomacy" could help attract significant investments to the country. Additionally, he emphasized the need for South Korea to strengthen its strategic partnership with the U.S., particularly in the semiconductor, battery and energy industries.

Lee also stressed the importance of deepening the Seoul-Washington alliance, highlighting that the U.S. shares the core values of democracy and freedom with South Korea. On Wednesday, he met with Acting U.S. Ambassador to Korea Joseph Yun and expressed his hope for strengthening the bilateral relationship.

"We must prepare ourselves to engage in dialogue," Lee said, expressing concerns about South Korea being sidelined in light of a shift in Washington's North Korea policy after U.S. President Donald Trump referred to Pyongyang as a "nuclear power."

Regarding recent poll results showing a higher public approval rating for the PPP than the DPK, Lee said, "We humbly accept the poll results. We believe they reflect the public's high expectations for the DPK's role in Yoon's impeachment trial."

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), attends his first appeals trial on his election law violation case at the Seoul High Court, Thursday. Yonhap

He also criticized acting President Choi Sang-mok for appointing only two of three vacant Constitutional Court justices and for vetoing a DPK-proposed bill that called for a special counsel investigation into Yoon over insurrection allegations.

"Choi doesn't seem to have a clear standard when it comes to exercising his authority. He is backing the insurrection forces by using his power to his advantage and abusing his veto power," Lee said. "Although he is mishandling the government, we will remain patient for as long as we can. The acting president must at least abide by the law and common sense."

Later in the afternoon, Lee appeared for the first time for a hearing of his appeals trial at the Seoul High Court in connection with an election law violation case involving him. The appeals court confirmed that it will issue its final ruling on Feb. 26 and decide in March at the earliest whether to uphold or reject the lower court's decision.

Lee said earlier his lawyers are reviewing whether to request for a constitutional review of the election law provisions. If the court accepts the request, the trial will be suspended until the Constitutional Court concludes its constitutional review. PPP lawmakers accused him of trying to delay the court ruling as a way to enable him to run in the next presidential election.

In November of last year, the Seoul Central District Court sentenced Lee to one year in prison, suspended for two years, on charges of violating election law. He was found guilty of making false statements during a parliamentary audit of the Gyeonggi Provincial Government in October 2021, while he was serving as governor.

If any prison sentence is finalized, Lee will be stripped of his parliamentary seat and barred from running for public office for the next 10 years. However, if he receives a fine exceeding 1 million won ($760), the ban would last for the next five years. In both cases, he would be unable to run for the 2027 presidential election. Lee, who narrowly lost to Yoon in the 2022 presidential election, has been considered a key contender for the 2027 election.

The DPK will also need to return the 43.4 billion won it received from the National Election Commission to cover its presidential election expenses.