Seoul: The ruling Democratic Party (DP) should "perfectly align and cooperate" with the government to back President Lee Jae Myung's running of state affairs, outgoing Prime Minister Kim Min-seok said Monday, as he is widely expected to run for the top leadership of the party.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Kim made the remark during a meeting with the press set up to review his one year as prime minister. Polls have shown that the approval ratings of President Lee and the ruling party have been on a downward trend since the June 3 local elections, where the DP lost a few key races despite its resounding victory in overall races. Kim emphasized the necessity for the party and the government to perfectly align and cooperate, urging the party to support the president's management of state affairs more than before the elections.

Kim, a key political ally of President Lee, is widely expected to run for DP leader in the party's national convention set for August. This move is seen as an effort to take over the party from current leader Rep. Jung Chung-rae and further solidify Lee's grip on the party. Jung has faced criticism from pro-Lee party members who believe he is leading the party to favor his own hard-line supporters rather than collaborating with Lee on key issues, leading to intensified rifts between supporters for Lee and Jung.

During the press meeting, Kim also highlighted the main issues he focused on during his tenure as prime minister, including the successful hosting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju, the establishment of the Global AI Hub, and resolving social conflicts such as a strike by trainee doctors. Kim, currently a national legislator, expressed his intention to address the issue of ballot shortages during the local elections by engaging young voters in discussions while the government plays a supporting role.