The Democratic Party of Korea has officially begun preparations for its convention scheduled for August 17, immediately following the June 3 local elections. With the next leadership set to wield significant influence over candidate nominations for the upcoming general elections, the competition for party leadership is heating up.
According to political sources, Jeong Cheong-rae, the party leader, Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, and lawmaker Song Young-gil are all contemplating their candidacies for the upcoming convention.
Jeong is expected to highlight his leadership over the past year, emphasizing the party's victory in the recent local elections and the successful implementation of key reform bills under the Lee Jae-myung administration, including judicial and prosecutorial reforms. He is likely to position himself as a candidate for re-election, pledging to continue addressing the government's remaining tasks.
Kim, who served as the first Prime Minister under the Lee Jae-myung administration and is considered a close ally of the president, announced his resignation from the Prime Minister's office on June 7, stating, "My next mission is to build a capable Democratic Party." This has led to speculation that he is eyeing a run for party leadership.
Song, a six-term lawmaker with previous experience as party leader, has also been vocal about issues surrounding candidate nominations during the local elections. He visited the May 18 National Cemetery in Gwangju the day before, seeking to connect with voters in the Honam region.
However, there are growing concerns within the party regarding both Jeong and Song. Some lawmakers have pointed out Jeong's failure to secure the Seoul mayoral position from the People Power Party in the recent elections, while others have criticized Song for raising issues during the Jeonbuk gubernatorial nomination process, demanding formal apologies from both.
Notably, lawmaker Lee An-joo resigned from her position on the Supreme Council, citing accountability for the local election results, and criticized Jeong, saying, "This election relied solely on presidential approval ratings. We must take the change in public sentiment seriously."
Criticism has also been directed at Song. Yoon Jun-byeong, the head of the Jeonbuk provincial party, accused him of engaging in disloyal actions by publicly supporting an independent candidate during a critical election period, stating, "This is a serious misconduct. I am uncomfortable with him being mentioned as a potential candidate for party leader."
Additionally, Lee Sung-yoon, a prominent member of the pro-Jeong faction, remarked, "It is unclear whether he is trying to protect the Democratic Party or undermine its leadership. Such statements are irresponsible and constitute serious misconduct. If he prioritizes the party over personal interests, he should apologize to the members."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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