Ruling party claims president's faction lost internal Democratic Party battle

A senior member of South Korea's People Power Party asserted that President Lee Jae-myung's strategy to dominate the Democratic Party has faltered. Kim Seung-soo, the party's deputy floor leader, stated on Monday that the president "effectively lost" in a crucial internal power struggle, referring to it as the "Myeong-Cheong (Lee Jae-myung-Jeong Cheong-rae) battle."

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President Lee Jae-myung's operation to seize control of the Democratic Party has failed.

Kim argued that despite President Lee's overt involvement in the Democratic Party's national convention, his preferred candidate, Kim Min-seok, faced a very close race in most regions outside of the Honam area. This outcome, Kim suggested, indicates a setback for the president's faction. The convention saw the election of Kim Min-seok as party leader, but Kim Seung-soo pointed to the success of candidates from the Jeong Cheong-rae faction among the supreme council members as evidence of Lee's faction being outmaneuvered.

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In the Myeong-Cheong (Lee Jae-myung-Jeong Cheong-rae) battle, the president in his second year in office effectively lost.

Further illustrating his point, Kim Seung-soo highlighted the defeat of Kim Yong, a close aide to President Lee, in the race for a supreme council seat. Kim Yong, who faces a final Supreme Court ruling on charges of receiving illegal political funds, was reportedly supported by two other candidates who withdrew from the race, yet he still lost.

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Even though President Lee overtly intervened in the national convention to help, Kim Min-seok struggled in a razor-thin victory in all regions except Honam.

Kim Seung-soo also criticized President Lee's legal battles, stating that the president is facing the "twilight of his power" just one year into his term. He urged the president to abandon what he called "judicial destruction" and "escape from trial" through measures like the dismissal or nullification of charges. The People Power Party, Kim added, will not engage in discussions about constitutional reform as long as President Lee's five ongoing trials are not resumed.

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The presidential aide, Kim Yong, who is awaiting the final Supreme Court ruling on charges of receiving 847 million won in illegal political funds from the Daedong project group to raise funds for the president's election campaign, ultimately lost despite two candidates withdrawing to support him.