As the leadership race in the Democratic Party of Korea intensifies ahead of the Aug. 17 convention, former leader Jung Chung-rae brought up a past interview in which former Prime Minister Kim Min-seok criticized Lee Jae-myung, who was party leader at the time. Kim, in response, dismissed it as "answering beside the point" without offering a separate statement.
On the 21st morning, the five contenders for the Democratic Party leadership attended a debate for party leader candidates at the Seoul Metropolitan Council. There, former leader Jung directly took aim at former Prime Minister Kim. He said, "I will introduce an article," referring to an interview in which Kim, after the party's defeat in the 2022 local elections, entered the Aug. 28 convention and assessed Lee Jae-myung, who was leader at the time.
In that article, former Prime Minister Kim said, "There was a problem with the judgment of Rep. Lee Jae-myung, who was the overall commander of the local elections. Personal judgment took precedence, and that brought about the defeat in the overall election." In effect, he placed the blame for the local election defeat on Lee, who was leader at the time.
Former leader Jung went on to criticize, saying, "No matter that a party convention is being held, and even if the local elections are over, attacking as if all responsibility lies with me alone, with the party leader only, is a habit and a bad practice."
He continued, "As party leader, I am responsible for everything that happens in the party. So I also feel heartache and deep regret about the results of the June 3 local elections," while adding, "Even if it is a party convention, I hope we do not engage in this kind of negative campaigning where, as if by habit, four years ago Lee Jae-myung was attacked and four years later Jung Chung-rae is attacked."
Right after the debate, former Prime Minister Kim met with reporters and, regarding former leader Jung's remarks, said, "What I said is a challenge to the issues of the past year under leader Jung Chung-rae," adding, "I think (former leader Jung's challenge) is answering beside the point," and he did not offer a separate position.