The Democratic Party of Korea on the 11th elected three Supreme Council members and a new floor leader. With two candidates from the pro-Jung Chung-rae and pro-leadership factions, which had drawn attention, winning seats on the Supreme Council, observers said party leader Jung Chung-rae's "pro-Jung system" has been consolidated.
The Democratic Party held by-elections for the Supreme Council and the floor leader at the National Assembly that afternoon. In the Supreme Council by-election, lawmakers Lee Sung-yoon and Moon Jeong-bok, seen as candidates from the pro-Jung Chung-rae and pro-leadership factions, and Kang Deuk-gu and Lee Geon-tae, seen as candidates from the pro-Lee Jae-myung and anti-leadership factions, entered the race. As pro-Lee Jae-myung candidate Yoo Dong-cheol voluntarily withdrew, the pro-Jung and pro-Lee camps were tied in number.
However, when the votes were counted, pro-Jung candidates Lee Sung-yoon and Moon Jeong-bok placed second and third to win Supreme Council seats. In the pro-Lee camp, Kang Deuk-gu won first place, but Lee Geon-tae finished fourth and lost.
With the pro-Jung camp joining the Supreme Council in place of the previously pro-Lee-leaning lineup, party leader Jung Chung-rae's influence within the Democratic Party leadership is seen as stronger. In the nine-member leadership, the pro-Jung camp increased to five members, including Jung himself. In addition to the newly elected Supreme Council members Lee Sung-yoon and Moon Jeong-bok, Supreme Council members Seo Sam-seok and Park Ji-won are also classified as pro-Jung.
New floor leader lawmaker Han Byung-do is seen as not leaning toward either the pro-Lee or pro-Jung side. He is classified as an in-party strategist with faint factional colors. That inevitably invites assessments that the pro-Lee camp's influence within the leadership has weakened.
Lawmaker Lee Geon-tae, who lost the Supreme Council race, is a former "Daejang-dong lawyer" who appealed to party members by emphasizing communication with the president. But after finishing last in the rights party members' vote share, the pro-Lee camp suffered a significant blow.
Still, the strong showing by lawmaker Kang Deuk-gu, who recorded the highest overall vote share in the Supreme Council election, is seen as a variable. Kang is a closest aide to Prime Minister Kim Min-seok. Kim is widely expected to face Jung Chung-rae in the next party leadership election.
A Democratic Party official said, "It is inevitable that Kang's report card from this by-election will be connected to Prime Minister Kim's party leadership election result," adding, "Because Kang won first place and beat the pro-Jung candidates, it can be interpreted that a green light has turned on for Kim's bid for party leadership."