Rep. Song Young-gil, a candidate in the Democratic Party of Korea's leadership election, said on the 14th that former party leader Chung Chung-rae's pledge "not to use the leadership post to run for president" was "an out-of-the-blue remark," adding, "Who told him to run for president?" Song also made clear his intention to finish the race, saying, "I did not enter (this convention) as a supporting player or a pacemaker."
Speaking on CBS Radio's "Park Sung-tae's News Show" that day, Song said, "It is inappropriate to even talk about the presidential election under an administration with four years left in its term." He directly criticized Chung, saying, "Last year, when he ran for a one-year party leadership post, he said he chose a disadvantageous path because the early days of the Lee Jae-myung government were important, but now running for another term is self-contradictory," adding, "What has he done well to run again?"
Song also criticized Chung for mentioning President Lee Jae-myung nearly 30 times in his candidacy declaration the previous day and emphasizing a "one team of party, government and presidential office." "Conflict doesn't disappear just because you shout Lee Jae-myung's name several times when the other side doesn't want it," Song said, calling it "stalker level." He continued, "He did not run the party in the way the president wanted," and argued, "I wonder if there is such a ruling party leader."
Regarding Chung's declaration that he "would not use the leadership post to run for president," Song noted, "Talking about not running for president at this point is itself off the mark," calling it "a remark that appears to have the presidential election in mind."
Song also dismissed observations that he is "a pacemaker for former Prime Minister Kim Min-seok." "How would someone who has declared candidacy come out as a supporting player?" he said. "As the Democratic Party's most senior lawmaker, I am not in a position to serve as a supporting player for candidates with lower seniority than me."
He continued, "This convention is an election that will determine whether the president and the ruling party leader can join forces to produce governance results," stressing, "Having served as a metropolitan government head and turned Incheon, which was on the brink of default, into a surplus, I am the candidate who best understands the difficulties of a president running the country."
He also directly rebutted Chung's stance of "putting the party before oneself." Song argued, "Reform means changing oneself first," and claimed, "In the last presidential and local elections, it was 'Chung first, party second,' prioritizing his own political goals over the party." He continued, "I believe appointing hundreds of special advisers was also preparatory work for another term."
Meanwhile, on the Democratic Party's discussion at an afternoon lawmakers' general meeting that day of a revision to the Criminal Procedure Act eliminating prosecutors' supplementary investigation authority, Song said, "The supplementary investigation authority should be abolished but replaced with the right to request supplementary investigation," adding, "If the police do not comply with the request, they can be controlled through measures such as replacing the investigation team or requesting disciplinary action." He said, "I plan to explain this position at today's lawmakers' general meeting."
