Jeong Cheong-rae, a candidate for the leadership of the Democratic Party, was attacked on July 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 "anti-democratic" and called for measures to prevent its recurrence.
On July 21, Jeong's camp 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 camp stated, "Any form of illegal behavior, insults, or violence is anti-democratic and only serves as a pretext for division and counteraction. We must eradicate such behavior." They also emphasized the need to eliminate all forms of verbal abuse, dual party membership, ghost party members, and involvement from the Shincheonji cult. Additionally, they 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 (Jeong Cheong-rae) camps, with disputes arising over the introduction of a preferential voting system and the failure of a youth supreme committee.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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