Factions Clash in Democratic Party Supreme Council Candidate Debate

▲ Former Democratic Party Leader Jung Cheong-rae, Representative Song Young-gil, and Former Prime Minister Kim Min-seok meet at a party workshop.

Supreme Council candidates running in the Democratic Party's August 17 national convention clashed along factional lines during a televised debate held today (August 3).

The pro-Jung Cheong-rae faction actively refuted allegations of "self-serving politics" surrounding party leader candidate Jung Cheong-rae while launching offensives against party leader candidate Kim Min-seok. Meanwhile, the non-mainstream pro-Lee Jae-myung faction launched a counterattack, claiming that candidate Jung was causing discord between the party and the administration.

A total of eight candidates who advanced to the main primary—Choi Min-hee, Kim Yong, Kim Young-ho, Seo Mi-hwa, Han Min-su, Lee Sung-yoon, Park Sun-won, and Lim Mi-ae (listed in ballot order)—attended the debate held at the OBS studio in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province.

Candidate Choi Min-hee, classified as pro-Jung, asked candidate Han Min-su, also classified as pro-Jung, during the-initiative debate, "The term 'self-serving politics' came up a lot during the national convention process, but did candidate Jung really engage in self-serving politics?"

In response, candidate Han answered, "Expressions like 'discord' and 'self-serving politics' are being used based on feelings and emotions," adding, "I wish they would provide grounds for even a single instance of him engaging in self-serving politics."

When candidate Choi further asked, "Didn't you ask whether (candidate Kim Min-seok's) remark during his time as prime minister that 'becoming party leader is my roman [ambition]' was rather an act of self-serving politics?", candidate Han concurred, asking, "Was it really appropriate for a sitting prime minister to say in an interview that becoming party leader was his ambition?"

In response, the pro-Lee Jae-myung faction launched a counteroffensive.

Candidate Park Sun-won criticized, "Being 'anti-Lee' means creating discord with the President's policies at every turn and failing to follow through," adding, "I have never heard the 'Jung Cheong-rae team' talk about supporting the President even once during the national convention process."

Candidate Seo Mi-hwa pointed out, "As the ruling party that produced the President, it is a natural duty to share and publicize the government's achievements to support the President," adding, "When the KOSPI reached 5,000, the proposal to merge with the Rebuilding Korea Party overshadowed all achievements, and that is what we call discord."

Candidate Kim Yong mentioned candidate Han's remark during President Lee Jae-myung's Gadeokdo knife attack that "I stopped the bleeding with my own handkerchief," stating, "We cannot forgive those who pretend to be pro-Lee while lying," and asserting, "This is grounds for dropping out of the race."

Direct attacks targeting individual candidates were also exchanged.

Regarding the controversy over candidate Choi's daughter's congratulatory money for her wedding, candidate Park argued, "Because those who have more try to enjoy more, our party is perceived as part of the privileged class, causing young people to leave," and maintained, "In cases of congratulatory money exceeding a certain amount, it must be reported and disclosed."

In response, candidate Choi explained, "Running forward without looking back, I couldn't take care of my daughter's wedding," and added, "Congratulatory money that arrived without my knowledge and inappropriate funds have all been returned."

Candidate Kim Young-ho stated that candidate Choi called him a "bat," asking, "How can you evaluate a fellow lawmaker as a bat?" and claimed, "This is precisely Ilbe culture."

Candidate Lim Mi-ae addressed candidate Lee Sung-yoon, who raised suspicions regarding candidate Kim Min-seok's "absence from martial law," by saying, "You sound very much like a prosecutor," and asked, "The truth came to light when the CCTV footage was released, so do you have any intention of apologizing publicly?"

Candidate Lee countered, "The expression 'sounding like a prosecutor' is truly regrettable," and stated, "As a member of the Democratic Party, I asked on behalf of the party members."

(Photo: Yonhap News)

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