A subtle stir is rippling through the contest for the next leadership of the ruling Democratic Party (DP) after party leader Jung Chung-rae skipped the send-off ceremony for President Lee Jae-myung as he departed on a European tour. While both the Presidential Office and the DP cautioned against overinterpretation, Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, who is competing with Jung for party leadership, drew a clear contrast by unusually attending Lee's send-off. Inside and outside the party, some interpreted the development as Lee vetoing Jung in the next leadership race and throwing his weight behind Kim.
According to political circles on Monday, the DP leadership, including Jung and floor leader Han Byung-do, did not attend the send-off for Lee, who departed for Brussels, Belgium, from Seoul Airport in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, to attend the Group of Seven (G7) summit. This is the first time the party leadership has skipped a send-off ceremony for a presidential tour since Lee took office. At that time, Jung had no official schedule and traveled to North Jeolla Province for a luncheon with Lee Won-taek, the governor-elect of North Jeolla. Han presided over the party's floor strategy meeting at the National Assembly.
The party leadership's unusual absence was reportedly due to a request from the Presidential Office. The Presidential Office explained through a media notice that it "minimized the number of people at the send-off, taking into account domestic circumstances such as the prolongation of the Middle East war and the response to the National Election Commission's mismanagement." Kang Hoon-sik, the presidential chief of staff, told reporters at the National Assembly that day, "Do not overinterpret this." Kang Joon-hyun, the DP's chief spokesperson, gave the same explanation, adding, "There is no political background to it."
But unlike Jung, who unusually stayed out of sight, Kim "unusually" appeared at the send-off ceremony. Kim visited Seoul Airport that day along with chief of staff Kang and senior political affairs secretary Hong Ihk-pyo, and shook hands with Lee. Normally, a prime minister, who handles domestic affairs in the president's absence, does not accompany the president at departure but instead goes to meet the president on return, combining the occasion with briefings on pending issues.
Against this backdrop, political circles offered the interpretation that Lee was clearly raising the issue of accountability against Jung while signaling his support for Kim. A two-term DP lawmaker from the non-mainstream faction said, "In political circles, don't they say 'the schedule is the message'? The fact that he turned away from the party leader and staged a handshake with the prime minister means the president sent a clear message." Another lawmaker holding a party post said, "It seems likely to have an influence on lawmakers and party members within the party."
In political circles, there is a view that although Jung has championed a "party-government-presidential office one team," he has not gained Lee's full trust because he has subtly clashed with the Presidential Office over the handling of various reform bills and other matters. For Lee, the next party leader, who holds the key to nominations for the National Assembly general election slated for 2028, is a core position of power that he must fill with "his own person."
Some observers say Lee expressed dissatisfaction with Jung and the DP leadership over the loss in the Seoul mayoral race, the biggest battleground in the local elections. At a press conference on Sunday marking the first anniversary of his inauguration, Lee said of the local election results, "An incomprehensible situation occurred," and "We lost where we should have won. If we lost a place we had to win, it is at least not a success." He frankly revealed his displeasure, adding, "I couldn't keep my expression neutral." This was interpreted as targeting the party leadership.
As the subtle stir between the party and the Presidential Office spread, the conflict between the pro-Lee (pro-Lee Jae-myung) and pro-Jung (pro-Jung Chung-rae) factions within the party is also coming to the surface. Pro-Lee lawmaker Kim Young-jin took direct aim at Jung on CBS radio that day, saying, "There is a public warning contained in the local elections. Didn't the party leadership appear to the public as having counted its chickens before they hatched?" DP lawmaker Park Jie-won, appearing on a YouTube broadcast, expressed opposition to Jung's candidacy, saying, "Jung has made achievements, but even if you do 100 things well, if you do one thing wrong, you have no choice but to take responsibility and step down." This was the first time a call for Jung not to run had emerged within the party. By contrast, DP secretary-general Cho Seung-rae said, "Opinions seem to differ on whether this election was a defeat severe enough for the party leader to resign."
Within the party, there is a view that despite Lee's message, Jung, backed by the absolute support of hardline party members, will not bend his determination to seek another term. Jung, who has minimized his official schedule since the local elections, will resume activities by presiding over a Supreme Council meeting at the National Assembly on Tuesday. On Thursday, he will visit Gwangju. He reportedly also considered a schedule to meet former President Moon Jae-in in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province, on Wednesday but canceled it.
