Ruling party: President effectively lost DP leadership race

South Korea's ruling People Power Party (PPP) assessed the opposition Democratic Party's (DP) national convention, where Kim Min-seok was elected leader, as a partial victory for President Yoon Suk-yeol. The PPP stated that while a foundation for party-government unity was established, pro-President Lee Jae-myung factions did not achieve complete control.

Kim Seung-soo, the PPP's senior deputy floor leader, remarked that the "President in his second year of term effectively lost" the "Lee vs. Chung" battle. He pointed out that despite the president's overt support for Kim, the candidate struggled outside the Honam region. Furthermore, three candidates from the "pro-Chung" faction secured executive committee positions. Kim criticized the DP for failing to oust the faction they previously derided as "Moon-Cho-Je-Yoo" (referring to former President Moon Jae-in, former Justice Minister Cho Kuk, commentator Kim Eo-jun, and lawmaker Chung Jin-sang, and writer Yoo Si-min) and for not seizing party leadership.

PPP Supreme Council member Shin Dong-wook echoed this sentiment on Facebook, suggesting President Yoon desperately intervened to prevent a lame-duck situation by ensuring Kim's victory. He predicted a fierce "second round" of conflict within the Supreme Council, indicating that the president "won't be able to sleep soundly" yet. Four-term lawmaker Yoo Ui-dong told KBS radio that "in terms of substantive content, the assessment that they (pro-Lee faction) lost will be the dominant opinion within the party." He added that the "speed and trajectory of the president's approval rating decline" would likely lead to increased caution within the party leadership.

Three-term lawmaker Sung Il-jong speculated that the strong performance of the "Chung Jin-sang forces" signals the "full-fledged start of differentiation within the ruling party." He warned that while the president's grip on the party might strengthen, leading to unity, this could be a "sign of the ruling party's downfall in the long run." Former lawmaker Yoo Seong-min, referencing the Supreme Council election results on Facebook, predicted that "the relationship between the party and the presidential office will never be smooth." He expressed little hope for the president and the DP to reflect on their governance failures and pursue reforms, urging the PPP to "rebuild conservatism through unity and innovation and give hope to the people."