The Democratic Party is facing internal strife following a closed Supreme Council meeting on July 14, where the preference voting system and the youth committee were both debated. Tensions have escalated between the Pro-Suk (Pro-Kim Min-seok) and Pro-Chung (Pro-Jung Cheong-rae) factions as they publicly voice their disagreements.
During a Supreme Council meeting held on the morning of July 15, sharp exchanges continued over the preference voting system and the youth committee.
Hwang Myeong-seon, a Supreme Council member aligned with the Pro-Suk faction, stated, "The elected youth committee was scrapped due to opposition from the majority of Supreme Council members. This is embarrassing and devastating. Can we talk about the party's future while rejecting even the minimum system to place youth voices at the center?"
He added, "Those who participated in the decision to reject the youth's input have no right to speak about the party's future. If they have any understanding of the principle of putting the party before personal interests, they should have actively supported and endorsed the youth committee."
Another Pro-Suk member, Kang Deuk-gu, expressed regret, saying, "I am very sorry to the party members, youth members, and young people. The youth committee is not a matter of party interests but a reflection of the spirit of the times. I want to ask those who voted against it what could be more important than youth political participation and the party's future."
Kang also asserted, "Although some Supreme Council members voted against it, preventing any progress, this upcoming party convention must serve as a turning point to correct mistakes and restore trust in the party."
In contrast, Park Gyu-hwan, a member of the Pro-Chung faction, countered that the introduction of the preference voting system violated party rules and accused Pro-Suk members of waging a public relations campaign against the youth committee. He remarked, "There are many issues that emerged during the process of enforcing the preference voting system, but let me point out just one. Why are we treating party rules so lightly?"
He continued, "When the legality is questioned and confirmed, we should take action, but why adopt an aggressive stance that seems to intimidate the Supreme Council?"
Regarding the youth committee, he criticized, "What kind of absurdity is it to accuse us of ignoring youth? We will inevitably face criticism for using the majority of young people as mere props, rather than engaging with them as active participants in politics."
The exchange between Hwang and Park continued even after the public Supreme Council meeting concluded. When Han Byeong-do, the acting party leader, adjourned the meeting, Hwang questioned, "Couldn’t we have amended the party rules during the week of discussions?" Park retorted, "If we had amended the party rules from the beginning, it would have been easier. Didn’t you just make excuses for violating the party rules?"
* This article has been translated by AI.
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