Jung Chung-rae pledges to embrace rival Kim Min-seok if elected party leader

Jung Chung-rae, a contender for the Democratic Party leadership, stated on July 11 that if elected, he would "embrace" rival candidate Kim Min-seok on a "grand scale" and in a "broad sense of unity." Jung made these remarks on the YouTube channel "Kim Eo-jun's Humble Hard News Factory," asserting his political career has been characterized by "magnanimity" and a lack of personal grudges.

Jung expressed confidence that his leadership would significantly improve President Lee Jae-myung's approval ratings, predicting a rise of over 10 percentage points. He attributed the current decline in support to the core base of traditional supporters "turning away." Jung believes his leadership will reignite their passion and loyalty.

Addressing Kim Min-seok's assertion that the upcoming election is a battle between Jung's "organization" and Kim's "individual appeal," Jung advised listeners not to take Kim's words at face value. He accused Kim of a "habitual chronic illness" of blaming others, citing Kim's past criticisms of Lee Jae-myung after the 2018 local elections and of Jung himself following the successful 2022 local elections.

Jung also responded to Song Young-gil's recent comment on the same program, where Song claimed to have spoken with the president, who was reportedly losing sleep over strained party-presidency relations. Jung countered that his relationship with the president is even closer than Song's. He criticized Song's "treasonous" rhetoric, suggesting it has led to widespread disappointment.