Jung Cheong-rae, a candidate for the leadership of the Democratic Party of Korea, was attacked on October 20 after a joint speech event for the preliminary party convention, resulting in damage to his vehicle. Kim Min-seok, a fellow candidate and former Prime Minister, condemned the incident as an "anti-democratic act" and called for measures to prevent its recurrence.
On October 21, Jung's team reported that an incident occurred where the candidate's vehicle was struck with feet and tools, prompting an ongoing police investigation. They expressed deep regret over the threats and violence directed at the candidate while he was inside the vehicle.
In response, Kim's team stated, "Any illegal acts, insults, derogatory terms, or violence are anti-democratic actions and merely provide grounds for division and counteractions. These must be eradicated." They emphasized that all forms of verbal abuse, dual party membership, ghost party members, and involvement of Shincheonji must come to an end. They also urged all party members to take on the role of protectors for safety.
Meanwhile, the party convention has intensified factional conflicts between the pro-Myeong (Lee Jae-myung) and pro-Cheong (Jung Cheong-rae) camps. They have engaged in disputes over the introduction of a preferential voting system and the failure of the youth supreme committee.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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