Jung Chung-rae, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea who faces blame for the June 3 local elections, visited the party's traditional stronghold of Honam to begin rallying internal support. After the defeat in the Seoul mayoral race, with calls for his resignation emerging mainly from the party's anti-leadership faction, Jung appears to be attempting a head-on breakthrough by promoting the "abolition of supplementary investigation authority" as part of prosecution reform. As the next leadership race intensifies, the move is interpreted as an effort to rally public sentiment in Honam, the biggest battleground, along with hardline supporters, to lay the groundwork for re-election.
According to political circles on Friday, Jung attended the South Jeolla and Gwangju Supreme Council meeting held Thursday at the Kim Dae-jung Convention Center in Seo-gu, Gwangju, and said, "Honam is like a parent to the Democratic Party." He added, "I will humbly accept the public sentiment shown in the June 3 local election results, take an even lower posture and improve day by day, fill in what is lacking, and refine further." He also stressed a "party-government-presidential office one team," saying, "The success of the Lee Jae-myung government is the success of democracy and the Republic of Korea, and it is the work of faithfully inheriting and developing the spirit of May 18."
In political circles, Jung's choice of Gwangju as his first official regional trip after the elections is being interpreted as a display of his intention to run in the Aug. 17 party convention. After Jung remarked at the Supreme Council meeting held Tuesday that "political power is short," the pro-Lee (pro-Lee Jae-myung) faction has called it "highly inappropriate" and urged him to resign as leader and abandon re-election. Undeterred, Jung appears to be seeking a breakthrough by visiting Honam, the party's largest base of support. The region, where about one-third of the Democratic Party's rights-holding members are concentrated, is considered the key battleground for the next party leadership election.
Jung's raising of the "abolition of the prosecution's supplementary investigation authority" is read in the same context. Early Thursday, he posted a short message on his social networking service (SNS) reading "full abolition of supplementary investigation authority," with no further explanation. He appears to be seeking to consolidate his support base by bringing to the forefront the prosecution reform issue that hardline rights-holding members have demanded. Jung also responded "I will produce results with a good conclusion in the National Assembly" immediately after President Lee Jae-myung said on Sunday regarding the issue of retaining supplementary investigation authority that he would "leave it to the National Assembly."
However, as President Lee had earlier taken a cautious stance, mentioning the "exceptional permission of supplementary investigation authority," a fierce debate is expected during the legislative process. Lee Joo-hee, the Democratic Party's floor spokesperson, told reporters regarding the abolition of supplementary investigation authority, "Since this is an issue that changes the entire criminal law system, we will gather various opinions inside and outside the party." She added, "Because pending issues are piled up, including the second-half National Assembly committee composition, the prime minister's confirmation, and the mismanagement of the National Election Commission, it will be discussed at an appropriate time later."
As Jung's bid for re-election becomes more visible, factional conflict over the next party leadership is intensifying. Hwang Myung-sun, a Supreme Council member from the pro-Lee faction, said at the Gwangju meeting, "We did not win the June 3 local elections. We failed." He continued, "All of us in the leadership, including myself and the party leader, fell short." He then directly criticized Jung, saying, "Many people call us a shameless leadership," and "I urge a responsible attitude from our leadership."
Kang Deuk-gu, another Supreme Council member, also took aim at Jung's "political power is short" remark, saying, "The people and the members are eternal, but party leadership is short." He pointed out, "The people's assessment of the local elections was a stern warning to the Democratic Party." This was a renewed demand for the resignation of Jung, who has led the Democratic Party.
The pro-Jung (pro-Jung Chung-rae) faction immediately pushed back. Moon Jung-bok, a Supreme Council member, countered, "Words and actions that appear to shake the party citing the election results and to set the party's direction ahead of the members' choices are by no means in keeping with the Democratic Party." She added, "Concern for the party should be expressed not with words of division but with vision."
The internal debate over the "one-member-one-vote system for rights-holding members," which will be introduced starting with the Aug. 17 party convention, is also growing heated. This system reflects the vote value of delegates and rights-holding members equally, and is assessed as likely to work in favor of Jung, who has strong support among rights-holding members. When Jung recently directly mentioned Reps. Chun Jung-bae and Kim Nam-hee, who had called for supplementing the one-member-one-vote system, on his SNS, the two lawmakers pushed back, demanding an apology. Rep. Chun sharpened her criticism, saying, "I became the target of the party leader's public pinpointing and received a barrage of insults and text-message bombs pouring in all night."
