Jeong Min-cheol, a youth politician and vice chair of the Democratic Party's policy committee, has expressed concerns over the burden of political deposit fees amid a controversy surrounding potential violations of political funding laws. This comes as he announced his candidacy for the party's supreme council.
On July 19, Kim Min-seok, a former Prime Minister and candidate for party leadership, criticized the increased deposit fees for youth and disabled candidates, stating on Facebook, "I cannot understand this at all. Youth and disabled candidates must pay 30 million won more for party leadership and 17.5 million won more for supreme council positions than during Lee Jae-myung's leadership."
He added, "Without any explanation, what is this? If there are concerns about chaos, we should consider other qualifications. This is simply unacceptable. The party must take practical measures. We are the world's leading mass party aiming for public ownership."
Another candidate for party leadership, Song Young-gil, also voiced his concerns, stating, "The Democratic Party is going backward. How can a party that raises deposit fees for youth claim to be a youth party? What we need now is not higher deposit fees but broader opportunities. True innovation means competing based on skills and vision, allowing anyone to challenge themselves."
Lee Geon-tae, a member of the National Assembly, questioned whether the party's leadership and supreme council elections are only accessible to those with money. He pointed out that while sitting lawmakers can receive donations, political newcomers must fund their own deposits, as they cannot establish support groups before registering as candidates. He noted, "Although there is a 50% reduction for those under 39, even to enter the preliminary election, one must pay 10 million won. In 2024, during Lee Jae-myung's leadership, the deposit fees were 40 million won for party leader and 15 million won for supreme council members, but now they have increased to 100 million won and 50 million won, respectively, marking a 150% and 233% increase in just two years."
He urged the party to revert the deposit fees to the levels during Lee Jae-myung's leadership and called for an immediate review of the current deposit fee issue, proposing improvements in line with the principles of public election funding.
Lee Geon-tae also criticized the party's decision to approve a preferential voting system while ultimately rejecting the separate election of supreme council members, highlighting the role of former supreme council member Lee Seong-yun in that decision. He stated, "It is problematic that he created the rules for a game he is participating in while blocking opportunities for youth. This is a serious case of self-serving politics that obstructs youth political participation and uses the authority of the supreme council for personal gain, especially by significantly raising the deposit fees for youth candidates while paving the way for his own re-election."
President Lee Jae-myung also weighed in on the controversy, stating on X (formerly Twitter), "It is sad that one cannot run for election due to financial constraints, as it also increases the temptation for corruption. Current lawmakers, especially from the conservative side, have less burden due to political funding, but for those outside the party, particularly youth, the burden is significant. Given that the party's finances are not in distress, it may be worth considering reverting the deposit fees to previous levels to address the challenges faced by youth and the need for policy consideration."
In response, Jeong Min-cheol thanked President Lee for empathizing with the struggles of youth politicians. He emphasized, "No matter the deposit fee, I will not back down. However, I hope that the next generation of youth will start with a lighter burden than I did. I will prove that this party can be one where money does not create barriers and where youth compete not as beneficiaries but as empowered individuals in this convention."
Previously, Jeong Min-cheol shed tears during a live broadcast on his YouTube channel, 'Is This True, Jeong Min-cheol?' on July 18, as he addressed the controversy over political funding laws. He had revealed his personal bank account to raise funds for his deposit, but after concerns were raised about potential violations of political funding laws, he stated he would return the funds as he had not conducted proper legal reviews.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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