A voice opposing calls for the resignation of Democratic Party leader Jung Chung-rae has emerged within the party, where pressure for him to step down has been building over the defeat in the Seoul mayoral election.
Park Soo-hyun, the governor-elect of South Chungcheong Province, wrote on Facebook Wednesday: "Is asking the party leader and leadership to take responsibility and resign the best option? We have seen that kind of responsibility countless times." He added, "We need a new Democratic Party that takes responsibility properly. We must say it is my fault, not your fault."
Park argued that the party should carefully review the election through publication of a white paper. "The Democratic Party leadership must immediately form a committee to assess the June 3 local elections and publish a white paper," he said. "Rather than self-serving mudslinging and finger-pointing, show conduct befitting a ruling party by presenting a future direction through an orderly assessment."
Park also posted a message of repentance regarding this election.
"I should have looked back at myself and read public sentiment based on myself, but the only standard was President Lee Jae-myung," he wrote. "I confess that the only election strategy was to wait for time to pass quickly while selling only the president's name, without even presenting an agenda to capture the hearts of provincial residents."
Park stressed, "If we fail to reflect on ourselves and link the local election results to the next leadership struggle in a self-serving fashion of mudslinging, public sentiment will rapidly turn cold, and it will also become a major burden on President Lee Jae-myung's governance."
Meanwhile, Democratic Party lawmaker Park Beom-kye criticized the party leadership on Facebook the previous day: "Even though the overall election results were good, it is embarrassing to call this a victory. Isn't it something close to a failed election? Yet there is no one who deeply feels even a little responsibility. That is regrettable."
