Calls for the resignation of Democratic Party leader Jung Chung-rae erupted directly during a party caucus meeting. As the competition for party leadership accelerates, efforts to check Jung, who is seeking another term, are intensifying. Some have gone beyond demanding his resignation to urging that he not run for party chair at all.
According to political circles Tuesday, some lawmakers at a closed-door Democratic Party caucus held the same day argued that Jung should step down, citing accountability for the local election failure and the need for fair management of the party convention primary.
Two-term lawmaker Jang Chul-min took the floor and said, "The Seoul mayoral race was a crushing defeat, both in substance and in sentiment." He demanded, "If we are to truly unite and consolidate the party's strength after the convention, Jung must resign even today."
Rep. Shin Jung-hun, whose constituency is Naju and Hwasun in South Jeolla Province, reportedly criticized the party leadership, saying, "Nomination management in the Jeonnam-Gwangju region was extremely unkind and rough." He added, "There were incidents of erroneous responses during the primary process, and illegal recruitment of party members was rampant. The party's nomination system is in serious trouble."
Rep. Lim Mi-ae, chair of the North Gyeongsang provincial chapter, reportedly said that Jung should resign for fair management of the party leadership primary. A Democratic Party official who attended the caucus relayed that Lim said, "In the past, both former leaders Lee Jae-myung and Chung Sye-kyun resigned at least two months in advance."
In contrast, Rep. Choi Min-hee, who is close to Jung, rebutted in a post on her Facebook after the caucus, writing, "Rep. Jang claimed this election was a rout, but I said that I cannot agree with the claim that it was a rout when (the metropolitan mayoral and gubernatorial election result) was 12 to 4." Choi reportedly argued at the caucus that the Seoul mayoral defeat was a failure of strategy on the part of candidate Jung Won-oh's camp.
Jung, who faced the resignation demands to his face, left without any separate closing remarks. Meeting with reporters, he said briefly, "I listened well. Let everyone judge for themselves," before moving on.
Within the party, demands that Jung not run in the party leadership election were also raised. Rep. Park Jie-won said in a radio interview Monday, "The party leadership must understand the president's intent," urging, "Jung and the rest of the leadership should resign en masse and declare they will not run in the convention." In response, Rep. Kim Young-hwan, Jung's chief of political affairs, criticized in a Facebook post, "He stressed to me that Jung should run and receive the evaluation of party members and the public," asking, "Which is the truth?"
Meanwhile, calls for the resignation of People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok have also resurfaced. Supreme Council member Woo Jae-jun said at the party's Supreme Council meeting the same day, "Let the entire leadership resign." Supreme Council member Cho Kwang-han, who is close to Jang, rebuked him, saying, "He is making immature remarks publicly," to which Woo expressed displeasure, retorting, "Immature remarks?" Alternative and Future, a group of reformist members within the party, also argued through a press conference that "Jang must resign." Jang dismissed the calls, saying, "If you are going to demand that the party leadership make a choice, you must first provide an answer on how to resolve the ballot shortage situation."
