Democratic Party rivals attack Jeong Cheong-rae's leadership bid

As the race for the leadership of South Korea's Democratic Party heats up ahead of the August 17 convention, prominent figures are launching sharp criticisms against Representative Jeong Cheong-rae, a leading contender seeking re-election as party leader.

Former Prime Minister Kim Min-seok directly challenged Jeong's leadership bid, stating at a party members' meeting in Gyeonggi Province, "If we fail to replace the party leader this time, our party will be shaken." He extended this warning, suggesting that the "president will be shaken, our government will be shaken, and South Korea will be shaken together." Kim emphasized the need to "rebuild a winning Democratic Party" and pledged to initiate an "upgraded system for fair nominations" to prevent the recurrence of flawed nomination processes that he claimed were justified by the current leadership as fair. He also proposed a "politics of addition" that embraces diverse political ideologies, including "rational progressives, reformers, centrists, and conservatives."

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If we fail to replace the party leader this time, our party will be shaken. The president will be shaken, our government will be shaken, and South Korea will be shaken together. Now is the time for us to rebuild a winning Democratic Party.

Representative Song Young-gil echoed these sentiments, launching a strong attack on Jeong's leadership. In a YouTube interview, Song compared Jeong's potential continued leadership to a "second Hong Myung-bo system," suggesting it would make even qualifying for the World Cup difficult. He directly blamed Jeong's "narrow, self-centered leadership" for the party's recent defeat in local elections. Song expressed disbelief at the current situation where the ruling party leader and the president are engaged in public disputes, calling it an "unprecedented" and "heartbreaking" situation for a ruling party. He questioned Jeong's ability to lead the party to victory in the upcoming general elections, stating, "Would my daughter or son vote for you?"

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If we do not resolve the Jeong Cheong-rae system as soon as possible, it will be like the second 'Hong Myung-bo system,' and it will be difficult to even advance to the World Cup finals. Jeong's narrow, self-centered leadership has effectively led to the defeat in the local elections.