The Democratic Party has decided to hold its national convention on August 17 in Daejeon, reigniting internal conflicts within the party. Some lawmakers are targeting leader Jeong Cheong-rae, pressuring him to ensure the next party leader can lead the success of the Lee Jae-myung administration, especially following the party's loss in the Seoul mayoral election during the June 3 local elections.
On the same day the convention date was confirmed, several Democratic lawmakers voiced their concerns about Jeong's potential candidacy.
Lawmaker Jo Gye-won criticized Jeong on Facebook, stating, "Jeong has not only failed to resolve internal conflicts but has also lost elections that should have been won. It is a painful situation where even the re-election of the government is uncertain. Despite this, he is fixated on challenging for the party leadership again."
Jo further urged Jeong to stop using divisive language within the party, suggesting he should openly declare, "I have different views from President Lee Jae-myung, so I will align with the party's core values," to clarify his stance.
Lawmaker Kim Yong-min echoed these sentiments, stating, "There is a growing sense of crisis due to division and conflict. The role of the party leader is crucial during such times." He added that the new leader must swiftly achieve complete conflict resolution, social reform, and political reform to unify the party and ensure the success of the Lee Jae-myung administration.
Lawmaker Lee Geon-tae questioned the current leadership's focus, asking, "Is the leadership concentrating on party competition rather than evaluating and reflecting on the election? Does Jeong believe that discussing the one-person, one-vote system and supplementary investigative powers will help his re-election?" He called for the current leadership to step down, stating, "It is neither fair nor sensible for the current leadership, which should be evaluating the election, to manage the upcoming national convention."
In response, Supreme Council member Park Gyu-hwan remarked, "They are trying to turn this election defeat into a scapegoat for accountability. The government and the ruling party are one body. If the party leader should resign, shouldn't the entire cabinet resign as well?"
Park also criticized the pressure on Jeong to resign for the sake of a fair election, stating, "Is it appropriate to demand resignation from a party leader who has not even expressed intent to run for re-election? As President Yoon said, we must uphold our principles."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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