Former Prime Minister Kim Min-seok on the 6th declared a bid for the Democratic Party of Korea leadership and criticized the Jung Chung-rae leadership, saying, "Self-serving politics over the past year caused confusion in party-government cooperation." Pro-Jung (pro-Jung Chung-rae) figures immediately pushed back, noting, "An attitude of only blaming others is the height of irresponsibility." They countered by challenging the facts about the former prime minister's conduct during martial law and the abolition of the supplementary investigation authority.
Rep. Han Min-su, who served as chief of staff to former leader Jung Chung-rae, criticized the former prime minister's remarks, saying, "From the very first moment of the campaign, it is impossible not to be disappointed by the anachronistic, out-of-body comments." He added, "If there really was confusion between the party and the government, the prime minister himself could never be free from responsibility," and noted, "Even so, the attitude of only blaming others, as if one were an uninvolved bystander, is the height of irresponsibility."
Rep. Lee Seong-yun, a supreme council member, said the former prime minister's remarks were "truly disappointing," and directly took issue with the former prime minister's conduct. Lee said, "He said it was a night of sleeplessness and decision, but as the entire nation knows, did he not fail to attend the National Assembly vote to lift Yoon Suk-yeol's martial law?" and noted, "He must clearly explain why he did not take part in the vote." Lee also asked, "If he even spoke with a Democratic Party lawmaker right before the declaration of martial law, shouldn't he have run to the National Assembly immediately?"
Lee also challenged the former prime minister's comments about the abolition of the supplementary investigation authority, saying the facts do not match. Lee said, "He (the former prime minister) said abolishing the supplementary investigation authority was a consistent position, and that he proposed to the party in May this year to handle the related reform bill but it was delayed at the party's request. But both the party leader and the floor leader say they never received such a report," and noted, "I myself, as a supreme council member, have never discussed the matter at the supreme council." Lee then said, "When and to whom did you make that proposal?"