As allegations of Shincheonji involvement surface, factional conflicts within the Democratic Party are intensifying. On the first day of voting for party leadership on July 28, lawmakers Song Young-gil and former leader Jeong Cheong-rae sought support in the Chungcheong region, while former Prime Minister Kim Min-seok focused his campaign in the Gyeongsang area. All three candidates aim to gain an early advantage in the race.
On the morning of July 28, Song held a meeting with party members in Chungju and planned town hall meetings in Cheongju and Daejeon in the afternoon. He also scheduled a casual gathering with young voters in Daejeon. Emphasizing the slogan 'No 2030 election without the 2030 generation,' Song is focusing on appealing to younger voters by proposing solutions to housing issues and pledging to appoint two youth representatives to amplify their voices within the party.
Jeong visited the grave of the late former Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan in Sejong City in the morning, accompanied by Kim Jeong-ok, Lee's wife and Jeong's campaign chair. Afterward, he met with Sejong Mayor Jo Sang-ho and engaged with party members in the area. In the afternoon, Jeong traveled to Jeonju to deliver a special lecture at the National Women's Vision Forum, aiming to sway voters in the Honam region. Jeong, hailing from Geumsan in Chungcheongnam-do, previously faced pushback from Song and Kim's camps when the primary schedule was set to begin in Chungcheong.
Meanwhile, Kim remained in Gyeongsang, visiting the Geoje shipyard and the construction site of the new airport in Gadeokdo, Busan. He plans to target voters in Jinju as voting in the Gyeongsang region begins on July 29. This area is classified as a weak region for the party, receiving a 5% weighting in the voting process. While the one-person, one-vote system allows for broader representation of party members' opinions, it has also raised concerns about the potential neglect of certain regional voices, prompting the party's preparatory committee to devise improvements. Kim visited Chungcheong and Ulsan the previous day and is scheduled to meet with Daejeon Mayor Heo Tae-jeong and Chungcheongnam-do Governor Park Soo-hyun on July 29.
The Democratic Party will kick off its primary elections in the Chungcheong region (Chungnam, Chungbuk, Daejeon, and Sejong) on August 1, followed by Ulsan, Busan, and Gyeongsang on August 2, Jeju and Incheon on August 8, Gangwon, Daegu, and Gyeongbuk on August 9, and finally Jeonnam, Gwangju, and Jeonbuk on August 15. The primary will conclude with the election of a new party leader at the Daejeon Convention Center on August 17, combining votes from party members and public opinion polls in a 70-30 ratio.
However, the voting process in the Chungcheong region began at 9 a.m. but faced disruptions due to technical issues with online voting in Chungnam and Chungbuk, causing confusion among party members. The voting system was restored by around 10 a.m., and the party's election management committee announced that the voting time for party members in these regions would be extended by one hour.
Amid these developments, allegations of Shincheonji involvement have heightened factional tensions within the party. Kim continues to raise concerns about these allegations, while Jeong has labeled them as false and threatened legal action. Kim maintains that his comments are aimed at addressing internal party issues rather than targeting any specific candidate.
Disputes between the pro-Lee Jae-myung and pro-Jeong factions persist within the Supreme Council. The pro-Lee faction argues that their actions are necessary to uphold the constitutional principle of separation of church and state, while the pro-Jeong faction demands evidence and warns that Jeong should resign if the claims are proven false.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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