Jung Cheong-rae, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, had remained silent since the June 3 local elections but adopted a humble posture Tuesday, saying he "shares President Lee Jae-myung's assessment and view of the local elections." This marks a clear shift in tone from his self-evaluation immediately after the vote, when he called the results "a major nationwide victory for the Democratic Party." With calls for the leadership to take responsibility erupting ahead of the August 17 national convention, and with differences in perception between the party and the presidential office over the election results coming to light, the move is seen as a choice to avoid a head-on collision and seek reconciliation.
At the Supreme Council meeting held Tuesday, the first since the local elections, Jung said, "I will reflect on what needs to be reflected upon and examine what needs to be examined regarding the election results." He added, "I will look at the public sentiment confirmed in the election from multiple angles with a more humble and lower posture." He continued, "I will humbly accept the criticism and reproach confirmed during the election process, using it as an opportunity to fill what is lacking and refine what needs refining."
The remarks appear to be conscious of the party-presidential office relationship, which showed subtle signs of cracks after the election. At his news conference marking his first year in office on June 8, President Lee delivered pointed criticism seemingly aimed at Jung regarding the election results, calling them "a warning from the people" and "at the very least, not a victory." Observers inside and outside the party interpreted this as an indirect expression of dissatisfaction, after Jung displayed a complacent perception by calling the results "a major nationwide victory" despite defeats in the Seoul mayoral race, Pyeongtaek-eul in Gyeonggi Province, and Buk-gap in Busan, among others. On June 9, Jung also did not attend the send-off event at Seoul Airport for President Lee's departure to attend the Group of Seven (G7) summit, at the request of the presidential office.
Jung focused on preventing the conflict from spreading, emphasizing a "party-government-presidential office one team." He said, "I will further strengthen one team and one voice among the party, government, and presidential office to unwaveringly support the success of the hard-working Lee Jae-myung administration." At the end of the meeting, he said, "The people are eternal and political power is short," adding, "I will engrave the people's hearts in my mind with the lowest posture." This aligned with President Lee's message, which called for the role of a ruling party, including expanding its reach to embrace centrist voters.
However, with the rift tied to the upcoming competition for party leadership, the atmosphere of holding Jung responsible is growing increasingly fierce. Supreme Council member Hwang Myung-sun said at the meeting, "The Democratic Party did not win this election," adding, "As one member of a failed leadership, not running in the national convention is the right thing to do toward the party members." Although framed as his own declaration not to run, it is read as a demand for Jung, at the pinnacle of the leadership, to give up his bid for re-election.
Supreme Council member Kang Deuk-gu, who is close to Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, a strong contender for party leadership, also took direct aim, saying, "The entire leadership must take it seriously whether there were aspects where we failed to sufficiently consider the will of the people and party members." Kim Yong, a former vice president of the Institute for Democracy and a close confidant of President Lee, likewise said regarding the possibility of Jung not running in the national convention, "I think it is something that can certainly be considered."
Jung, refusing to back down, is making his bid for re-election increasingly visible. In a post on the bulletin board of "Ddanzi Ilbo," where his support base is mainly active, he wrote immediately after the meeting, "I am spending many nights of anguish and remorse, but the conclusion is always a pledge and resolve for the success of the Lee Jae-myung administration." On his social networking service (SNS), he also expressed his intention to push for a live broadcast of the general assembly of lawmakers. While he did not answer reporters' questions about whether he would run for the next party leadership, observers interpret this as a warm-up for his national convention bid, increasing his points of contact with his core support base.
