Jung Cheong-rae, a candidate for the leadership of the Democratic Party, stated on August 12 that both Kim Min-seok and Song Young-gil share a commonality in their defeats in the Seoul mayoral election, asserting that he should be the party leader. He emphasized the need to restore the sentiments of the traditional core support base to quickly boost President Lee Jae-myung's approval ratings.
During a press conference at the National Assembly, Jung questioned, "Can those who have lost in direct elections lead the upcoming Seoul mayoral election and the Gangneung by-election to victory?" His comments came in response to Kim's declaration on August 10 that he would ensure victory in the Seoul and Gangneung by-elections and would seek re-endorsement as party leader to restore responsible political ethics.
Recently, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon was sentenced to a disqualification ruling in the first trial, and former People Power Party lawmaker Kwon Seong-dong lost his seat following a Supreme Court ruling. However, when asked if he would seek re-endorsement, Jung replied, "Is there a need for me to follow?"
Additionally, Jung addressed the recent decline in President Lee's approval ratings, stating, "We are sensing a departure from the traditional core support base," and predicted that his election as party leader would lead to an immediate 5-point increase, with the potential to raise it by 10 points in a short time.
In response to Jung's remarks, Song appeared on KBS Radio's 'Current Affairs' program the same day, criticizing, "The current decline in the president's approval ratings seems to stem from issues related to real estate and leveraged ETFs. Claiming to restore the sentiments of the core support base is akin to a quack doctor's prescription."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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