Representative Jeong Cheong-rae of the Democratic Party of Korea was elected as the new party leader by defeating his competitor, Representative Park Chan-dae, at the Democratic Party convention held on Aug. 2. Observers have noted that a strong reform will, a strategy centered on party members, and the late 'Myeongshim debate' contributed to his victory.
The consolidation of 'party sentiment' is cited as the primary reason for Jeong's victory. In the party member votes, which accounted for 55% of the total voting ratio, Jeong established an early lead. In the prior party member votes in the Chungcheong and Yeongnam regions, he garnered over 62% support, solidifying his momentum, and on that day, he obtained 66.48% of the accumulated voting rate in the party member vote, comfortably surpassing candidate Park (33.52%).
From the moment he declared his candidacy, Jeong emphasized a 'party member sovereignty party' slogan, proposing key pledges such as the introduction of a one-person, one-vote system at the convention, abolition of delegate voting, and institutionalization of continuous voting for all party members. He also expressed a commitment to institutionalize communication with party members by overlapping the party leader's role with the head of the training center for party members and holding concerts for members while reflecting social media activity indexes in nominations.
In contrast, candidate Park attempted a 'last-minute turnaround' based on delegate-centered organizational strength but was unable to change the flow.
Candidate Park is reported to have the support of 152 incumbent Democratic Party lawmakers. Delegates comprise local lawmakers who are able to exert influence in nominations, leading to speculation that if substantial support was consolidated, a reversal could occur. However, as the voting reflected only 15% of the total votes, it appeared insufficient. When the results were finally revealed, Jeong recorded a 46.91% voting rate in the delegate vote, essentially achieving parity.
The controversy over 'Kang Seon-woo's resignation' that arose at the end of the election is also analyzed as a variable. Amid the resignation of former Minister of Gender Equality and Family nominee Kang Seon-woo due to allegations of abuse by aides, it was noted that candidate Park posted on social media just before Kang's resignation that 'a decision is needed,' leading to speculation that he may have been aware of the presidential office's intentions.
Some supporters within the party referred to candidate Park as 'a watermelon' (a derogatory term meaning betrayer of the Democratic Party) in reaction to this. In contrast, candidate Jeong Cheong-rae remarked, 'Comrades win together and lose together,' while comforting Representative Kang. This response from Jeong is believed to have helped solidify the voting sentiment among party members and strengthen support among party members.
Both candidates Jeong and Park made strong statements against former President Yoon Suk-yeol and the People Power Party during the convention, working to consolidate support from reform-minded voters. In particular, Jeong stated, 'The People Power Party could become a target for claims to dissolve unconstitutional political parties,' and took bolder actions by proposing an amendment to enable claims for dissolution to be brought before the government through a National Assembly resolution, attracting support from reform-oriented party members.
Candidate Jeong also clarified his vision for the division of roles between the party and government by asserting, 'I will handle the fighting, so the president should focus on state affairs.' Candidate Park differentiated himself with a 'livelihood party leader' message; however, evaluations have noted that his consistency in messaging and responsiveness to party sentiment was lacking compared to Jeong.
Political commentator Choi Soo-young analyzed, 'The presidential office has emphasized practicality, integration, and cooperation, so it seems that the strategy of (candidate Jeong) that aligned with the party sentiment by suggesting that the party should better incorporate strong reform demands from the support base has been effective since the beginning. Additionally, it appears that candidate Park has not been able to capture the hearts of the party members without clearly showing his stance.'