The Democratic Party of Korea began the Aug. 17 national convention preliminary primary. Democratic Party candidates for party leader appealed for support from members, stressing victory in the 2028 general election and the success of the Lee Jae-myung administration. In the preliminary primary, the Democratic Party will narrow the party leader field from the current five to three.
On the 20th, the Democratic Party held the "3rd regular national party members' convention preliminary primary joint speech session for party leader and supreme council member" at its headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul. The preliminary primary online vote (50% rights-holding party members, 50% central committee members) will run from the 21st to the 23rd. This preliminary primary will determine two candidates for cutoff (exclusion from the race), narrowing the field to three.
◇ Song: "Success of the Lee Jae-myung administration" Kim: "End the 'Myeong vs. Chung' war" Jeong: "No fruit without roots"
Song Young-gil, the first to take the podium, said, "Among the party leader candidates, I am the only one with experience as the head of a metropolitan local government. Based on this experience, I will work with President Lee Jae-myung," adding, "A governing party is not a commentator but one that takes responsibility for outcomes, and what delivers tangible, graspable results is precisely the Lee Jae-myung administration."
He added, "The party leader must support the president's policies while also conveying public sentiment properly so the president does not become detached from it, and must be capable of presenting alternatives," stressing, "I will build a Democratic Party where young people run and dream together. I ask for Song Young-gil for creating the administration and winning the general election."
Candidate Kim Min-seok openly took aim at candidate Jung Chung-rae, the immediate past party leader. Kim said, "With the capacity of the party leadership that has dragged on for the past year, is a new policy breakthrough for people's livelihoods, the economy and regional growth really possible?" adding, "Will we again allow the personal fiefdom of a party leader who appointed the largest-ever corps of special advisers in the next general election cycle?"
He continued, "We cannot have a party leader who sparks party-government conflict through personal politics and turning the party into a private fiefdom. We must end the 'Myeong vs. Chung' war," adding, "Let's build a Democratic Party that wins again together. With a 100% vote by all party members, break the 'anti–Lee Jae-myung factionalism' and protect the party, the government and the president."
Candidate Jung Chung-rae emphasized the "roots of the Democratic Party." Jung said, "Drawing nourishment from the history of Kim Dae-jung, the history of Roh Moo-hyun and the history of Moon Jae-in, I will make the history of Lee Jae-myung bloom even more," adding, "You cannot cut the roots and expect flowers to bloom. Without roots, there are no flowers or fruit."
Jung also said, "As I have come this far believing only in the people's will and only in the party members' will together with our members, I will continue to hold firm and go forward hand in hand with them," adding, "If I am hit 'two to one' or 'three to one,' I will take it. I believe our party members will protect those wounds."
◇ Kim Bo-mi: "The 386 generation still owns the Democratic Party"… Ko Min-jung: "Stop the genealogy fight"
Kim Bo-mi, the youngest among the party leadership contenders, said, "All three leading candidates for party leader are from the 386 generation. In a Korea entering the ranks of the world's top three in artificial intelligence (AI), the generation that once fought with Molotov cocktails and stones still owns the Democratic Party," adding, "If the 686 becomes 786 and then 886, the Democratic Party will collapse. The 686 should exit gracefully, and young people should lead the Democratic Party."
She went on, "In the regions, a lawmaker is king. If someone pleases them, they nurture that person, and if a young person does not heed their words, they stamp them out," pointing out, "All the Democratic Party's problems come from putting loyalty and connections ahead of skill and ability. Because there are so many to take care of, unfairness and anti-democratic practices ended up becoming the party charter."
Ko Min-jung said, "Democratic Party politics must be renewed. To do that, we must change first. Let's stop the genealogy fight," emphasizing, "If the Democratic Party becomes buried in genealogy fights, it is regression, degeneration and, in the end, expulsion."
She continued, "Let's not leave the president to struggle alone. The remarks by writer Rhyu Si-min caused a major stir in society. I cannot agree with the rough manner of expression and the way of asserting that one's own words are the right answer," adding, "In reality, our Democratic Party is failing to embrace even those within us who voice different opinions."