As the Democratic Party prepares for its convention on August 17, calls for the resignation of leader Jeong Cheong-rae are intensifying within the party. There are growing demands for accountability regarding Jeong's role in the party's defeat in the recent Seoul mayoral election during the June 3 local elections.
On the morning of June 11, prior to a plenary session, the Democratic Party held a lawmakers' meeting at the National Assembly. Some party members expressed the need for Jeong's resignation before the convention and questioned the reasons behind the party's loss in the Seoul mayoral race.
Representative Jang Cheol-min stated during the meeting, "To achieve true unity and consolidate our party's strength after the convention, we should resign today." He emphasized that not only Jeong but all lawmakers responsible for managing the convention should consider stepping down.
Jang further noted, "We need to establish trust that the convention will be conducted with objectivity and transparency," advocating for actions that would secure credibility rather than mere words.
Regarding the Seoul mayoral election, Jang described the outcome as a "defeat both substantively and emotionally," adding, "A more serious issue is that there was no warning from the central party level. We should have shared accurate information and scrutinized the situation clearly at the party level."
In response to Jang's comments, Representative Choi Min-hee publicly disagreed, stating, "I cannot agree with this. While Jang claims we suffered a major defeat, I believe we won in 12 districts," and argued that the absence of President Lee Jae-myung's photo in the election materials contributed to the loss.
Meanwhile, Jeong has not yet publicly addressed the calls for his resignation or the accountability issues raised within the party. When asked about the resignation demands later that afternoon, he responded, "I heard well during the lawmakers' meeting. Please make your own judgments."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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