Candidates for the leadership of the Democratic Party of Korea clashed sharply over the party's top post during the Chungcheong regional primary on the 1st, ahead of the August 17 national convention. Kim Min-seok emphasized stable state governance through ending the "Myeong-Cheong (Lee Jae-myung-Jung Chung-rae) war," while Jung Chung-rae underscored his distinctiveness by highlighting reform achievements such as prosecution reform. Song Young-gil targeted Jung, saying, "The Lee Jae-myung government is being shaken because of his self-serving politics," moving to check his rival.
Kim, the first among the leadership candidates to take the podium at the "Democratic Party's Third Regular National Convention Joint Speech Session for Party Leader and Supreme Council Members," held at the South Chungcheong Traffic Training Institute in Gongju, South Chungcheong, said on the 1st: "As the Republic of Korea stands before a historic turning point toward becoming a leading nation for the first time ever, we are wavering." He added, "As the party and government grind against each other, elections are shaken and the stock market is shaken too."
"If we waver further, the entrance to the golden age will also waver," he said. "We cannot take the worst path where the party, the government and the president all waver."
He also pointed out, "We must not fall into a historical quagmire that allows the insurrection forces to catch up," and "an extension of the Myeong-Cheong war is the Democratic Party's hell, and that gate to hell must be closed." This was a direct criticism of Jung, who is at the center of the Myeong-Cheong conflict controversy.
Kim presented "successful experience in state governance and elections" as his strength. "My governance capabilities have already been verified, and President Lee Jae-myung has also assessed them," he argued. "My electoral capabilities have already been confirmed as a guaranteed check."
He continued, "In the 2010 local elections, the 2024 general election, and the 2025 presidential election, I led all to victory after effectively being entrusted with full authority over the party," and "with that experience, I will surely create a drama of victory in the Seoul and Gangneung by-elections."
Kim urged support, saying he has a plan to raise the Democratic Party's approval rating by more than 10% within three months of taking office as party leader. "I will transform the party into a fast-paced one that organizes legislative tasks and policy messages before the government does once Cabinet meetings end," he said. "I will disclose the party's finances, operations, policies and organization, and will broadcast the party's work reports live before the people and party members." He promised to strengthen primaries in the process of electing the party leader and Supreme Council members, and to expand the authority of city and provincial party chapters.
Jung countered by presenting prosecution reform and the one-person-one-vote system as his achievements. "Amid all kinds of difficulties, including abolishing the prosecutors' office and the laws on a serious crimes investigation agency and a corruption investigation agency, I have finally completed prosecution reform by fully abolishing supplementary investigation authority," Jung said. "I will take the lead in making the Lee Jae-myung government a success together with party members."
Jung defined the Democratic Party's identity as "reform" and said, "I will reform and reform again." He said, "The Democratic Party won when it reformed and was turned away by the people when it failed to reform," listing legislative achievements he pursued during his previous tenure as party leader, such as increasing the number of Supreme Court justices and prosecution reform.
He emphasized unity within the party and the unification and solidarity of the broader democratic and progressive camp. "Supporters of Kim Dae-jung, Roh Moo-hyun, Moon Jae-in and Lee Jae-myung must unite tightly," Jung proposed. "We are one root and one. We must unite with one heart and one mind."
As if conscious of the Myeong-Cheong conflict controversy directed at him, he said, "I will not go negative and will not blame others," referring to his relationship with President Lee: "I believe the person who will keep faith with President Lee Jae-myung to the end is I, Jung Chung-rae."
Song, the last speaker, targeted Jung, who is seeking a second term, saying, "Why is there any need for a second term in the era of the Lee Jae-myung government?" He then referred to the revision of the Criminal Procedure Act centered on abolishing the prosecution's supplementary investigation authority, saying, "Even without Jung, it was consistently pursued under the acting leadership of Han Byung-do, and both I and party leader Kim Min-seok have consistently argued for it." He asked, "Whose monopoly is this?"
Song continued his criticism, saying, "Jung says he will not go negative, but I will not forgive those who slander President Lee." He added, "Do we need a party leader who stays silent toward Rhyu Si-min, who hurls curses at the Lee Jae-myung government?"
He also argued, "Jung is playing the victim, claiming he is being hit two-against-one, but the one who is truly lonely is President Lee," and "The Lee Jae-myung government is being shaken because of his self-serving politics."
Song emphasized that the party leader's role goes beyond supporting the government to presenting policy alternatives. Regarding recent real estate policy, he proposed, "Real estate cannot be solved with taxes; supply must be expanded," and "support for actual end-users must be expanded." On recent stock market volatility, he said, "There will be an adjustment phase going forward, but SK hynix will grow in the era of artificial intelligence (AI)," and "HBM Song Young-gil and GPU Lee Jae-myung will build a Republic of Korea that is an AI powerhouse, an irreplaceable Republic of Korea."
