[Anchor]

The Democratic Party has decided to allow Representative Song Young-gil and former Institute for Democracy Vice President Kim Yong to run in the national convention, despite controversy over their eligibility due to unpaid party dues. While the party leadership approved the exception following a vote, young politicians are criticizing the decision as unfair.

Reporter Park Jae-yeon has the story.

[Reporter]

The Democratic Party leadership held an emergency meeting today, July 17, the deadline for candidate registration for the August 17 national convention.

The issue of candidate eligibility for Representative Song Young-gil and former Institute for Democracy Vice President Kim Yong was raised.

According to party regulations, only party members with voting rights who joined at least six months ago and have paid party dues at least six times within the past 12 months are eligible to run in party elections. Both individuals failed to meet these requirements.

Representative Song and former Vice President Kim argued that the gaps in their records were due to time spent in prison following what they described as attacks by political prosecutors.

[Kim Yong / Former Vice President of the Institute for Democracy: The empty spaces in our party dues payment records are precisely the time spent under prosecution oppression. The Democratic Party should not use this as a reason for exclusion.]

During a leadership meeting held last night to discuss the same issue, three Supreme Council members from the pro-Chung faction opposed granting an exception to the two individuals, who are considered pro-Lee, preventing a conclusion. However, this morning, former leader Jung Chung-rae posted a message calling them comrades and brothers-in-arms, stating, Let us go together, as there is a relief clause in the party regulations.

Subsequently, the Democratic Party Supreme Council held a vote after one pro-Chung member walked out, ultimately deciding to grant an exception and recognize their eligibility as candidates. This has led to interpretations that a compromise between factions was effectively reached.

Following this decision, the case of former Interim Leadership Committee Chair Park Ji-hyun, who was unable to even register as a candidate four years ago because she had not been a party member for six months, has been widely discussed within the party.

Kim Bo-mi, a former Gangjin County Council member who is running for party leader, criticized the move, asking, Is it that young Park Ji-hyun is not allowed, but 686 (referring to the generation born in the 60s, who attended university in the 80s, and are now in their 60s) Song Young-gil is? She further condemned it as the height of abnormality that goes beyond unfairness.

(Video reporting: Kim Yong-woo | Video editing: Lee Seung-hee | Design: Han Heung-soo)