Jo Seoung-lae, the Democratic Party of Korea secretary-general, again said that the "Prime Minister Kim Min-seok's bid for party leadership" — floated as a possibility for the next leadership contender — affected the June 3 local elections and could be subject to internal evaluation. Some inside the party say the leadership also bears responsibility for the local elections, making Jo's remarks inappropriate.
On the 16th, appearing on the YouTube show "Kim Ou-joon's It's Hard to Be Humble News Factory," Jo said, "Around the early voting days, talk about the party leadership suddenly emerged, and I think it had a negative effect," adding, "This is not an assessment of Prime Minister Kim Min-seok personally, but we need to examine the impact on the election as the leadership struggle became an issue in the media."
At a press briefing the previous day related to the evaluation committee for the June 3 local elections and by-elections, Jo also said, "With the local elections under way, what kind of impact would it have to quit as prime minister and run for party leadership?" and "We also need to evaluate how the messages and actions of government officials affected public opinion."
Among fellow lawmakers, some argue it was inappropriate for Secretary-General Jo to mention Prime Minister Kim by name. With Democratic Party leader Jung Chung-rae's extension widely regarded as a foregone conclusion, the point is that this highlights the responsibility of rival Kim more than that of the party leadership.
Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Yong-min said on MBC Radio that day, "I don't know why they keep dragging that (the prime minister) down like a water ghost," adding, "If the party led the campaign, it's right that Leader Jung's problems come to the fore first. Why insist on taking it that way? I think it's inappropriate."
Kim Young-bae, a lawmaker from the same party, also said on YTN Radio, "It's a bit rough for the party's secretary-general to directly mention the prime minister," adding, "The leadership cannot be free from criticism over these by-elections and local elections and bears a considerable share of responsibility, so I would prefer a more unifying and humble approach."
Kim Nam-hee, a Democratic Party lawmaker who was publicly singled out by Leader Jung under the "one person, one vote system," raised the prospect of the party leader's resignation. Speaking on CBS Radio that day, Kim said, "If Leader Jung intends to seek another term, it would be appropriate to resign as soon as possible and show the public that he is willing to be evaluated," adding, "It is inappropriate conduct to remain in the party leader's position without even clarifying any intention to run for party leadership."