SEOUL, Aug. 20 (Yonhap) -- The new leader of the ruling Democratic Party (DP) stepped up efforts to ease factional tensions and promote unity within the party on Thursday, paying tribute to key liberal figures as part of a broader push to bring the party together.

Kim Min-seok visited the grave of former Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan in the central city of Sejong earlier in the day before traveling to Gyeonggi Province to pay his respects to Kim Geun-tae, the late former democracy activist-turned-politician.

"We will go beyond simply winning a single parliamentary election and lay the groundwork for successive DP administrations with the aim of achieving a golden era of 20 or 30 years," he told reporters after paying tribute to Lee. "We will carry on the legacy of former Prime Minister Lee."

Kim's move came amid lingering tensions exposed during the leadership race between those aligned with President Lee Jae Myung and supporters of former DP leader Jung Chung-rae.

Rep. Jung, who had sought a second consecutive term as DP leader, had faced criticism from some pro-Lee members who argued that he placed greater emphasis on appealing to the party's hard-line supporters than on closely coordinating with the president on key issues.

Since taking office, Kim has been seeking to move past such divisions.

On Tuesday, he paid respects to the late former President Kim Dae-jung. He also visited the grave of late former President Roh Moo-hyun in South Gyeongsang Province the following day and met with former President Moon Jae-in in the southeastern city of Yangsan, where he vowed to heal internal wounds.

Later that day, he attended a dinner hosted by President Lee with his former leadership rivals Jung and Song Young-gil.

julesyi@yna.co.kr

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