Woo Won-shik, a Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker who served as speaker of the 22nd National Assembly in the first half, said on the 21st, "I have no intention of running in this convention," adding, "If we hold a convention while hurting, mocking, and nitpicking each other and fueling division like this, what will be left for our party?" With this, the next leadership race is expected to be a three-way contest among Representative Jung Chung-rae, Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, and former Representative Song Young-gil.
Ahead of the convention in Aug., a power struggle is intensifying within the Democratic Party, sparked by calls to take responsibility for defeats in key areas in the June 3 local elections. In particular, as President Lee Jae-myung has publicly and repeatedly called for the "role of the ruling party" in recent days, putting pressure on Jung Chung-rae's leadership, the old mainstream, represented by the pro-Jung faction, issued the unusual message that "a presidency is short," pushing the situation to the brink of civil war.
On Facebook that day, Woo posted about the convention, writing, "Who is the Democratic Party for? What is this convention for?" Woo said, "As someone who started with the Peace Democratic Party and has been a lifelong Democratic Party member, I ask and ask again," adding, "Is today's Democratic Party the same Democratic Party as the party for the middle class and ordinary people launched by President Kim Dae-jung and the nationwide party embodying President Roh Moo-hyun's dream?"
He also said, "Derogatory labels that are hard to even utter are being mobilized to attack internal rivals. It is embarrassing and shameful," adding, "This is a time when even combining our strength would not be enough for the democratic administration we must make succeed, yet the Democratic Party's proper role is nowhere to be seen."
Woo said of the Democratic Party's losses in the recent Seoul mayor and South Gyeongsang governor races and in the Busan Buk-gap and Gyeonggi Pyeongtaek-eul by-elections, "If we fail to fully grasp the meaning of the warning from the public, there is no future," adding, "No one is free of blame. Everyone must reflect." He added, "Whenever we split internally and pointed knives at each other, the Democratic Party invariably shrank and lost."