Democratic Party lawmakers warn against repeating history of division ahead of convention

As the Democratic Party's August 17 national convention approaches, internal tensions are rising, with concerns growing about escalating factional strife. Lawmakers are urging caution, drawing parallels to past divisions that weakened the party.

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We must take the history of division in 2007 and 2015 as a lesson.

Rep. Kim Young-jin highlighted the party's history, referencing the 2007 and 2015 splits. He recalled the intense conflicts between pro-Roh Moo-hyun and anti-Roh factions around 2007, which he said were ten times more severe than current disputes. This period, he noted, led to a significant defeat for candidate Chung Dong-young in the presidential election and a subsequent six to seven years of division. Kim also pointed to the 2015 split, which saw key figures leave the party, leading to the formation of the People's Party. He expressed a desire for the current debates to be less destructive, comparing them to "cutting the Han River with a knife."

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At that time, around the end of Uri Party in 2007, we fought ten times harder between pro-Roh and anti-Roh factions. As a result, Chung Dong-young lost the presidential election by 5 million votes, and the process of division continued for 6 to 7 years. We should not go down that path.

Kim stressed the importance of balancing core support with broader appeal for overall growth, especially as the party enters a challenging period after President Lee Jae-myung's administration's initial honeymoon phase. He emphasized the need for unity to navigate policy evaluations and difficulties ahead.

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The candidates are pouring everything into winning today, giving the impression that they are pulling out the pillars of the house.

Rep. Yoon Kun-young echoed these concerns, describing the current convention candidates' actions as potentially "pulling out the pillars of the house" in their pursuit of victory. However, Yoon expressed personal confidence in the party's tradition of moving towards reconciliation after major conventions, even when results are close. He acknowledged that significant vote margins tend to empower new leadership, while narrower wins can prolong internal friction, but ultimately believes the party will find a path to unity.

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It is an undeniable fact that when the vote margin is large in a national convention, new leadership gains strength, and when the margin is narrow, conflict and antagonism tend to persist a bit longer. However, there is a tradition of moving towards integration after a major convention, so I believe in that.