As the first traveling primary to elect the next leadership of the Democratic Party of Korea was held in the Chungcheong region on the 1st, Rep. Song Young-gil took direct aim at former leader Jung Chung-rae, saying, "We do not need a party leader who stays silent toward Rhyu Si-min."
That morning in Gongju, South Chungcheong, at the joint speech session of the party's 3rd National Convention, Song targeted the former leader and said, "Is there any need for another term?" and "One person, one vote has been implemented and the Criminal Procedure Act has been revised."
He continued, "Even without Jung Chung-rae as party leader, under Han Byeong-do's acting leadership, I also swiftly pushed for abolishing the supplementary investigative authority and consistently saw it through," adding, "It is also what candidate Kim Min-seok has been advocating." He then asked back, "Who has a monopoly on this?"
Song also said, "I will not forgive those who go negative and slander President Lee Jae-myung," and again targeted the former leader by asking, "Do we need a party leader who stays silent toward Rhyu Si-min, who is hurling curses at the Lee Jae-myung administration?" This referred to former Roh Moo-hyun Foundation Chairman Rhyu Si-min saying on a YouTube program in July that the president "is making very wrong judgments and acting in a way that is not good for the country," to which the former leader replied, "No comment."
He also criticized Jung for describing his situation as "being hit two-on-one amid offensives," saying it was "playing the victim." Song said, "The one who is truly alone is President Lee Jae-myung," adding, "In a situation where (the president) cannot sleep at night as he makes decisions about the nation's future, with Trump, Putin, Sanae Takaichi, and all the great powers of Europe pressing Korea for their own interests."
He then said, "HBM is Song Young-gil, GPU is Lee Jae-myung," appealing for support by saying, "I am the prepared candidate to lead the nation's future together with the president."
Meanwhile, the Democratic Party of Korea's candidates for party leader and supreme council will continue joint speeches in Cheongju, North Chungcheong, and Daejeon on the same day, then are scheduled to announce the Chungcheong region dues-paying member vote results at about 7 p.m.