In the first round of voting for the leadership of the Democratic Party of Korea, Kim Min-seok narrowly defeated Jeong Cheong-rae in a closely contested primary among party members in the Chungcheong region.
On August 1, the Democratic Party held a joint rally at the Daejeon Convention Center after voting in Chungnam and Chungbuk, announcing the results for the Daejeon and Sejong regions.
According to the combined results, Kim received 45.05% of the votes, edging out Jeong, who garnered 44.61%, by a margin of just 0.44 percentage points. Song Young-gil finished third with 10.34% of the votes.
This national convention marked the first time a one-person, one-vote system was implemented, with the voting weight split between delegates and party members at 70% and the public at 30%. During the regional primaries, only the results from party members were disclosed, while the results from delegates and the public will be announced on August 17 at the Daejeon national convention.
During the convention, candidates for party leader and the Supreme Council were clearly divided into pro-Lee (supporters of Lee Jae-myung) and pro-Jeong (supporters of Jeong Cheong-rae) factions, engaging in heated debates over the party's relationship with the government and the direction of reform.
Each candidate emphasized the need for a successful Lee Jae-myung administration and the strengthening of party member sovereignty, but fierce exchanges ensued over specific methodologies.
In the leadership race, Kim and Song launched strong attacks on Jeong, blaming him for the party's losses in local elections and framing him as self-serving.
Kim characterized the conflicts during Jeong's tenure as a 'Daejeon of Myung and Cheong,' opening his speech with pointed criticism.
He directly challenged Jeong's silence regarding author Yoo Si-min's criticism of President Lee, stating, "Was there anyone more reform-minded than the Lee Jae-myung administration?" He warned, "The continuation of the 'Daejeon of Myung and Cheong' is hell for the Democratic Party, and we must not open that hell's door," urging for a true pro-Lee leadership that aligns with the president.
Song also strongly criticized Jeong's bid for re-election, noting, "The president apologized for the results of the last local elections, yet some are making claims that directly contradict the president's views while trying to protect Lee Jae-myung. This is a clear contradiction for those claiming to be pro-Lee."
In response, Jeong launched a counterattack by referencing Kim's political history, recalling the candidate unification controversy during the 2002 presidential election, stating, "The worst self-serving politics was when you betrayed Roh Moo-hyun and flew to Chung Mong-joon. One must have some shame."
He continued, "I am the one who completed reforms such as the abolition of the prosecution and the complete elimination of investigative powers. I urge you to support a strong reformist leader, Jeong Cheong-rae, to achieve the integration of progressive forces and complete reforms."
The Supreme Council elections also highlighted the divide between the pro-Lee and pro-Jeong factions. Candidates aligned with the pro-Lee faction, including Kim Young-ho, Kim Yong, Park Sun-won, and Seo Mi-hwa, collectively stated, "We need a united leadership to address the chaos and conflicts of the second year of the Lee Jae-myung administration."
Notably, Seo criticized the previous leadership under Jeong, stating, "When the president was out of sync, they made excuses instead of taking responsibility for the local election losses."
Conversely, candidates from the pro-Jeong faction, including Han Min-soo, Choi Min-hee, and Lee Sung-yoon, declared, "We will not stop our reforms of the prosecution, judiciary, and media until the party members say to stop," emphasizing a clear reform agenda.
Choi Min-hee targeted Kim Min-seok's camp, questioning, "Why are you trying to divide votes with pro-Lee and anti-Lee rhetoric when we should be discussing people's livelihoods?"
* This article has been translated by AI.
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