Jeong Cheong-rae: 'I won't use party leadership for presidential bid; I'll be a victory planner'

Jeong Cheong-rae, a former leader of South Korea's Democratic Party, has officially declared his candidacy for the party's leadership, asserting he will not leverage the position for a presidential run. Instead, Jeong stated his intention to become a "planner for presidential victory," signaling a focus on party reform and electoral strategy.

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I will not run for president using the party leadership position. I will become a planner for presidential victory. I will operate the party with fairness and transparency.

Announcing his bid at the National Assembly, Jeong declared his faith in public and party sentiment, promising to pursue "uninterrupted reform" with "lightning speed." This marks his return to the leadership race just 19 days after resigning from his previous leadership role following criticism after the June 3 local elections.

Jeong repeatedly emphasized his commitment to the "success of the Lee Jae-myung administration," positioning himself as a loyal figure who has consistently upheld party principles. He also addressed criticisms of "self-serving politics," contrasting his long-standing party affiliation with that of rivals, potentially alluding to Kim Min-seok's past party departure.

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Only public sentiment, only party sentiment, I am running for the leadership of the Democratic Party.

He further clarified his stance on presidential ambitions, stating, "I will not run for president using the party leadership position." When pressed, he simply responded, "Please understand it as I have said." Jeong also outlined reform priorities, including the complete abolition of supplementary investigation rights for the prosecution, which he called a "flag and symbol of Democratic Party reform."

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Prosecutorial reform is the flag and symbol of Democratic Party reform.