Kim Dong-yeon criticizes Democratic Party's primary rules favoring certain candidates

The Democratic Party's candidate selection committee provisionally decided on a candidate selection method of '50% party members, 50% general opinion poll' to determine the method of the presidential primary, to which Kim Dong-yeon, the governor of Gyeonggi Province, remarked on the 12th, 'We firmly oppose what amounts to a candidate selection without a national electorate.'

If this primary method is finally confirmed, the proportion of party members will increase compared to the 18th and 19th presidential elections, which recruited a national electorate and conducted primaries. The overwhelming majority of party members are supporters of former representative Lee Jae-myung.

Koh Young Technology's proxy, former Gyeonggi Province Vice Governor for Economic Affairs Ko Young-in, issued a statement saying, 'The committee cannot be one solely for a specific candidate,' adding that 'rules that favor certain candidates are not fair rules.'

He also demanded, 'This candidate should clarify their stance on eliminating the national electorate primary, and Acting Party Leader Park Chan-dae and the Supreme Council members must correct the special committee's decision to ensure that the national electorate primary is conducted according to the principles of the existing primary method.'

He stated, 'The reason for initially starting the national electorate was to allow citizens, regardless of party affiliation, to directly elect candidates, thereby enhancing the chances of winning in the main election through moderation and representation,' adding, 'Not conducting a national primary shows a lack of trust in the public.'

Kim Du-kwan, a former lawmaker who declared his candidacy for the primary, also issued a statement the previous day, saying, 'How can the pro-Lee Jae-myung leadership of the Democratic Party embrace the opinions of the candidates, who are the parties involved in the primary, while failing to include them?' He added, 'If the leadership continues to ignore the candidates' opinions and remains uncommunicative, we will have no choice but to deeply consider participating as a supporting role in what would become the 'pro-Lee Jae-myung (the presidential candidate is Lee Jae-myung, no doubt) selection primary.'

The special presidential selection committee held its fourth closed meeting in the afternoon to finalize the primary method. The Democratic Party plans to announce the finalized primary method around 6 p.m. after reports from the general meeting of lawmakers and resolutions from the Supreme Council on the same day.