Within the Democratic Party of Korea, the recent rise of the "Ahn Hee-jung faction" is standing out. That is because figures once classified as part of the Ahn faction have been placed throughout the party, including the secretary-general who oversees party affairs, the chief spokesperson responsible for the party's messaging, and even a supreme council member in the leadership. Inside the party, some say Democratic Party leader Jung Chung-rae is courting lawmakers from the Chungcheong region with an eye on the party leadership election in August.
Among key Democratic Party officials who were previously classified as part of the Ahn Hee-jung faction are Secretary-General Cho Seung-rae (Daejeon Yuseong A), Chief Spokesperson Kang Jun-hyun (Sejong B), and Supreme Council member Hwang Myeong-seon (South Chungcheong Nonsan, Gyeryong, Geumsan). Rep. Park Soo-hyun (South Chungcheong Gongju, Buyeo, Cheongyang), who recently stepped down from the chief spokesperson post to run for South Chungcheong governor, was regarded as the senior figure among lawmakers in the Ahn faction.
Rising to the party's core ahead of the local elections, Secretary-General Cho served in 2010 as the first chief of staff to former South Chungcheong Gov. Ahn Hee-jung. Chief Spokesperson Kang and Rep. Park are the same age as Ahn and are friends; when Ahn completed his sentence and was released in Aug. 2022, Kang even went to meet him. Supreme Council member Hwang, a former Nonsan mayor, has also been classified as part of the "broad Ahn Hee-jung faction," in part because he and Ahn are from the same hometown.
Some in the party say Jung's outreach to the Ahn faction is a "maneuver for another term," taking into account the August convention. Jung's weakness is said to be limited control within the parliamentary caucus, and bringing in the Ahn faction could help him build a support base among lawmakers. Another advantage is that after Ahn's "secretary sexual assault," the Ahn faction collapsed, leaving few obstacles to absorbing its members.
A Democratic Party official said, "Jung has grown by highlighting his hard-line image and rallying dues-paying party members, so support among lawmakers is relatively weak," adding, "By absorbing the disbanded Ahn faction and bringing them to his side, he appears to be laying the groundwork for another term."
The Chungcheong region, where the Ahn faction is concentrated, serves as a casting vote in the party leader election. In July last year, during the party leadership race, Jung defeated his rival, Rep. Park Chan-dae, in Chungcheong by a wide margin of 62.77% to 37.23%. Jung's landslide in Chungcheong was followed by a series of assessments that he had seized the momentum in the overall race.
Since taking office as party leader, Jung has continued to appoint lawmakers from Chungcheong, keeping Rep. Lim Ho-seon (North Chungcheong Jeungpyeong, Jincheon, Eumseong) as senior deputy secretary-general and naming Rep. Lee Yeon-hee (North Chungcheong Cheongju) as head of the strategic planning committee.