One Day Before Cutoff, Candidates Vie for Party Support; Calls to Lower Deposit Fees

[Anchor]

With the Democratic Party's preliminary primary approaching, candidates for party leadership are focusing their efforts on winning over party members. Controversy continues over the significant increase in deposit fees required for candidates running for party leader and supreme council member, prompting President Lee Jae-myung to personally suggest to the party that the fees be lowered.

Reporter Kim Kwan-jin has the story.

[Reporter]

Kim Min-seok, former Prime Minister, visited Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, the hometown of President Lee Jae-myung, on the morning of July 19. He stated that "President Lee has already planted hope," and that he would "add water to it."

In the afternoon, he met with party members in Busan.

[Kim Min-seok/Former Prime Minister: I will realize both the unity of the party and the expansion of its outreach.]

Chung Cheong-rae, former party leader, announced that Kim Jung-ok, the spouse of the late former Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan, would serve as the chair of his fundraising committee.

[Chung Cheong-rae/Former Democratic Party Leader: She has agreed to serve as the chair of the fundraising committee for Chung Cheong-rae's party leader campaign.]

He added a pledge to make the Democratic Party a more reform-oriented party based on the "Lee Hae-chan spirit."

Representative Song Young-gil, who paid his respects at the grave of former President Roh Moo-hyun, emphasized a party leadership that communicates closely with the Lee Jae-myung administration.

[Song Young-gil/Democratic Party Representative: I will create a Democratic Party where the process is fair and the results are just, to support the Lee Jae-myung administration...]

Representative Ko Min-jung, who visited Gwangju, emphasized the creation of a young leadership that moves beyond factional politics.

[Ko Min-jung/Democratic Party Representative (KBC News Maker): (Party members) say they only see player Lee Jae-myung on the wide soccer field, and ask where all the other players have gone...]

Kim Bo-mi, former member of the Gangjin County Council in South Jeolla Province, called for a generational shift, criticizing the "86 generation."

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For the Democratic Party's main national convention, candidates for party leader must pay a deposit of 100 million won, while candidates for supreme council member must pay 50 million won.

These amounts have increased by 60 million won and 35 million won, respectively, compared to one year ago.

President Lee Jae-myung posted on social media yesterday, requesting that the party review ways to return the deposit fees to their previous levels.

While candidates outside the party aged 39 or younger receive a 50% discount, he pointed out that "the burden remains significant," adding that "being unable to run for office due to money increases the incentive for corruption."

Regarding reactions from some within the party questioning whether this is an attempt to support pro-Lee candidates or interference in party affairs, the Blue House countered by saying, "He simply expressed his opinion as a party member that the deposit fees have risen too high."

The Democratic Party's election management committee has decided to re-discuss the deposit fee issue tomorrow.

(Video courtesy of Ko Min-jung TV, Chung Cheong-rae TV Tteotda!)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.