A Spokesperson for the Democratic Party of Korea compared President Lee Jae-myung to former President Yoon Suk-yeol on a YouTube channel, stirring controversy within the ruling camp. In pro-ruling-party online communities, supporters are splitting into pro-Myung (pro–Lee Jae-myung) and pro-Cheong (pro–Jeong Cheong-rae) factions and trading barbs.
Lee Ji-eun, the party Spokesperson, appeared on YouTube's "Park Si-young TV" on the 9th and said, "We watched Yoon Suk-yeol and harshly criticized him for handpicking someone to make party leader, but is the (Lee Jae-myung) president doing this now?" adding, "It makes me think, surely not."
Brought into the Democratic Party during the 2024 general election, the Spokesperson currently serves as the Democratic Party's district head for Seoul Mapo A. Seoul Mapo A neighbors Seoul Mapo B, the district of Democratic Party leader Jung Chung-rae.
The backdrop to the Spokesperson's remarks was the airport send-off event on President Lee's trip to Europe. As President Lee departed the day before to attend the Group of Seven (G7) summit, Prime Minister Kim Min-seok attended, but Democratic Party leadership, including leader Jung, all skipped it. It is also not unrelated that in a June 8 press conference marking the first anniversary of the inauguration, President Lee said, "We lost what we should have won," bringing "leadership responsibility" to the fore.
The Democratic Party plans to first determine the specific circumstances of the Spokesperson's remarks. After the supreme council meeting on the 10th, Kang Jun-hyun, the Democratic Party's chief Spokesperson, met with reporters and said, "We are reviewing the Spokesperson's remarks," adding, "We need to identify what was said and the specific intent."
Pro-ruling-party online communities showed signs of supporter fragmentation. In "Jaemyung's Village," President Lee's fan cafe, a post was uploaded titled "Condemnation of the Spokesperson's disgraceful comparison of President Lee to Yoon Suk-yeol and demand for expulsion." In another online community, a post read, "There's no such thing as benevolent intervention in party affairs. I agree with what the Spokesperson said."
As controversy over the remarks spread, the Spokesperson stepped down. The Spokesperson said, "There was no need to put the name 'Yoon Suk-yeol' as the object of the comparison," adding, "Whatever the intent may have been, if I failed to convey that sincerity properly and burdened the party, I have no choice but to admit a lack of competence as a Spokesperson."