Demands for the resignation of Democratic Party leader Jung Cheong-rae erupted publicly at a party caucus. As the competition for party leadership intensifies, the pressure on Jung, who is seeking another term, has grown stronger. Within the party, some argue that he should not only resign but also refrain from running in the next party leadership election.
According to political sources Tuesday, some lawmakers at the closed-door Democratic Party caucus that day demanded Jung's resignation, citing responsibility for the failure in the local elections and the need for fair management of the party convention primary.
Two-term lawmaker Jang Chul-min, given a chance to speak, argued, "The Seoul mayoral election was a crushing defeat both in substance and in sentiment." He said, "If we are to truly unite and rally the party's strength after the convention, Jung must resign, even today."
Rep. Shin Jung-hoon, whose district is Naju and Hwasun in South Jeolla Province, also offered sharp criticism toward the leadership. "The nomination management in the Jeonnam and Gwangju region was very unkind and rough," he said, adding, "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 condition," according to sources.
Rep. Lim Mi-ae, chairwoman of the North Gyeongsang Provincial Party, also made remarks to the effect 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 leader Lee Jae-myung and leader Chung Sye-kyun resigned at least two months in advance."
In contrast, Rep. Choi Min-hee, who is close to Jung, wrote on her Facebook immediately after the caucus, "Rep. Jang argued that this election was a rout, but I said that with the metropolitan and provincial governor election results at 12 to 4, I do not agree with the claim that it was a rout." Choi was also reported to have argued at the caucus that the Seoul mayoral election defeat was a failure of the election strategy by candidate Jung Won-oh's side.
Jung, who faced resignation demands in person, left the meeting venue without separate closing remarks. Meeting reporters, he only said, "I listened well. Let each person judge for themselves," before moving on.
Within the party, voices calling for Jung's withdrawal from the convention continue. Rep. Park Jie-won, in a radio interview Monday, urged, "The party leadership should know the president's intentions," and "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, pushed back through Facebook, "He emphasized to me that Jung should run and be evaluated by party members and the public. Which one is the truth?"
Meanwhile, within the People Power Party, calls for the resignation of leader Jang Dong-hyeok were reignited. Supreme Council member Woo Jae-jun argued at the Supreme Council meeting that day, "Let the entire leadership resign." In response, Supreme Council member Cho Kwang-han, who is close to Jang, criticized, "He says immature things publicly," and Woo retorted, "Immature things, you say?" engaging in a public verbal clash. Jang dismissed it, saying, "If you want to demand a choice from the party leadership, you must first give an answer on how to resolve the ballot shortage situation."
"Alternative and Future," a group of PPP reformists, also held a press conference and argued, "Jang must resign." In a statement, they demanded, "If Jang Dong-hyeok truly considers himself a 'conservative,' then it is time to step down from his position," and "Do not contaminate the infringement of citizens' suffrage caused by the ballot shortage with a 'fraudulent election conspiracy theory.'"
They added, "The public is now watching how the People Power Party will reflect public sentiment and rebuild a fair electoral system regarding the question of Jang's status and the suffrage infringement issue," and, "Floor leader Jeong Jeom-sik should convene a caucus to gather consensus on these two issues."
