Democratic Party Faces "Voting Coup" Claims Amid Leadership Election Dispute

A contentious debate is unfolding within South Korea's Democratic Party as some members push for additional voting opportunities for party members who missed the initial deadline for the ongoing leadership and Supreme Council elections. The proposal has ignited fierce opposition from other factions, who label it a "voting coup."

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This is absolutely unacceptable and would lead to an uprising.

The push for extra voting time is primarily driven by factions supporting Lee Jae-myung, with the belief that higher turnout benefits their preferred candidates, particularly for the party leadership. One candidate's aide suggested that while Lee's supporters are highly motivated, other candidates need to actively encourage their bases to vote.

However, prominent party leader candidate Chung Jin-sang vehemently opposes the idea. He argued on a radio show that allowing additional votes is unacceptable and would lead to chaos. Chung emphasized that even abstaining from voting is a form of expressing one's will and questioned the possibility of 100% voter participation.

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Is 100% voting possible? Abstaining is also a way to express one's will.

Internal party election committees have also voiced concerns. An election official stated that altering rules mid-election could set a precedent for repeated demands for rule changes in future contests. Another official warned that allowing direct prosecutorial involvement in investigations could lead to procedural disputes and challenges to the validity of prosecutions.

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If we start changing the rules during an election, demands for rule changes will be repeated in every election.