[Park Seong-jun, Democratic Party Supreme Council Candidate]
"'Discordant' Jung Chung-rae leadership has already failed... leadership must be replaced"
"Democratic Party may look like factional strife, but everyone is 'pro-Lee'"
"Lee Jae-myung, Kim Min-seok, and Park Seong-jun have worked as a team... things will go much smoother if I go together with candidate Kim Min-seok"
"Pro-Lee vs. Pro-Jung candidates? Many good candidates came forward to compete in good faith... the main election will be fiercer"
"Rhyu Si-min attacking the president with un-Rhyu-like language... unfortunate that he overlooks President Lee's deliberation process"
"Rhyu Si-min warning President Lee... went beyond political critique to effectively become a politician (player)"
"Rhyu Si-min's remarks crossed a line that shouldn't be crossed"
"Kim Min-seok issued a warning out of concern over religious groups muddying the political landscape"
"Dual party membership issue unresolved and problematic... institutional improvements should be considered"
"Jung Chung-rae shouldn't see it as targeting himself (regarding Shincheonji issue), but should have said 'let's excise it immediately'"
"'President Lee's mortgage trick'? PPP always plays tricks, so they see it as a trick"
"President Lee selling his house was a tough decision... unfortunate to turn it into a political issue"
"If I become a Supreme Council member, I will build a winning party, a strong party, a capable party"

■ Broadcast: SBS Pyun Sang-wook's News Direct (FM 103.5MHz 17:00 – 18:00)
■ Date: July 22, 2026 (Wed)
■ Host: Pyun Sang-wook, SBS Anchor
■ Guest: Rep. Park Seong-jun, Democratic Party Supreme Council Candidate

▷Pyun Sang-wook: We have Democratic Party Lawmaker Park Seong-jun, who is running for Supreme Council member of the Democratic Party, in the studio. Welcome.

▶Park Seong-jun: Hello.

▷Pyun Sang-wook: It's even nicer to see you on the radio after usually seeing you on TV.

▶Park Seong-jun: Indeed.

▷Pyun Sang-wook: Being able to speak comfortably seems to be the advantage of radio. First, why should you, Park Seong-jun, become a Supreme Council member of the ruling party? Let's hear your reasons first.

▶Park Seong-jun: Now, one year into the launch of the Lee Jae-myung administration, a replacement of leadership needs to take place. The reason is that after the insurrection, the Lee Jae-myung administration sought the normalization of the country and laid the groundwork to open economic growth and a new AI era, but what can support this even more is the political party. We must start from the point that the Democratic Party fell somewhat short in fulfilling that role during its first-term leadership. If so, under the second-term leadership, we must build leadership that can drive the success of the Lee Jae-myung administration, and that is the role the party—the Democratic Party—must play. The direction of a government's success depends on how well the ruling party performs, and I came forward out of confidence that I can faithfully fulfill that role.

▷Pyun Sang-wook: To put it another way, does saying it was inadequate in the first leadership mean former Leader Jung Chung-rae didn't do well? Is that what you mean?

▶Park Seong-jun: Isn't it clear when you look at it now? The first leadership term of Party Leader Jung Chung-rae was filled with discord. The fact that the party itself became a source of discord should already be viewed as a failure. When working with the president, you need to be in sync. As we say, you need to be so synchronized that you understand each other just through eye contact and gestures without needing explanations. But because that chemistry was lacking, party division and conflict persist today, don't they? That is why fierce battles are unfolding in the current national convention, and I believe leadership must be replaced with a new leadership structure that can heal this.

▷Pyun Sang-wook: If so, to be completely frank, isn't the current national convention taking the shape of a factional fight?

▶Park Seong-jun: It may look that way on the surface, but in reality, within the Democratic Party overall, everyone should be seen as 'pro-Lee.' Everyone says they will work for the success of the Lee Jae-myung administration. All candidates for party leader and Supreme Council are putting the success of the Lee Jae-myung administration as their slogan, aren't they? Looking at it from that perspective, I do think there is clearly a line struggle. Party members seem to be looking at whether the leadership structure should play a role as a check, or whether it can form a 'one team' among the party, government, and presidential office. The group supporting Party Leader Jung Chung-rae seems to consist of those who believe that even though we are the ruling party, we should serve as a check on the Lee Jae-myung administration from within. As for the other group, they believe we must have a leadership team that can create a 'one team' with President Lee Jae-myung and the party-government-presidential office. There seems to be a difference in perspective on this policy line.

▷Pyun Sang-wook: If we were to break down the perspectives on the policy line, isn't the Supreme Council candidate group supporting candidate Jung Chung-rae fairly obvious? Candidates Lee Sung-yoon, Han Min-soo, and Choi Min-hee. If these three are clearly pro-Jung, which side are you on, Rep. Park?

▶Park Seong-jun: I have worked directly with President Lee Jae-myung, serving as floor spokesperson, party spokesperson, and chief spokesperson. I also served as senior floor deputy leader, and during the last presidential election, I served as Chief of Political Affairs Office 2 for presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung, helping design and execute the overall election strategy. Under that leadership back then, while Kim Min-seok served as Senior Supreme Council member and I served as senior floor deputy leader, during the insurrection situation, Party Leader Lee Jae-myung, Senior Supreme Council Member Kim Min-seok, and I as senior floor deputy leader played decisive roles in quelling the insurrection and bringing about the impeachment of Yoon Suk Yeol. From that perspective, Lee Jae-myung, Kim Min-seok, and Park Seong-jun have already worked as a 'one team,' which has been proven through results and achievements. Therefore, in establishing a second-term leadership capable of delivering results, if party leader candidate Kim Min-seok and I move forward together, we will be able to get work done much more smoothly.

▷Pyun Sang-wook: If party leader candidate Kim Min-seok becomes party leader, what will improve?

▶Park Seong-jun: I believe the most important thing is that the Lee Jae-myung administration has a clear direction. Under center-pragmatism, there are reform tasks such as prosecutorial reform, judicial reform, and media reform. On the other hand, from the perspective of center-pragmatism, a leader must emerge who can comprehensively advance three major mega-projects in the AI era, improve the public's quality of life, and handle foreign affairs. What I mean is, while in the past when the Democratic Party fought against the Yoon Suk Yeol regime, the party leader played a role by setting up political fronts through assertions and declarations, as the ruling party, I believe a strategist who can deliver work, results, and accomplishments should step up. From that point of view, candidate Kim Min-seok has done a lot of work and worked in tandem with President Lee Jae-myung when he was prime minister. Thus, I view him as someone who can play a central role not only in reform tasks for the success of the Lee Jae-myung administration, but also in legislation and actual political capability, which is why I decided we should go together.

▷Pyun Sang-wook: Not candidate Song Young-gil?

▶Park Seong-jun: Former Leader Song also has many great qualities, but people often talk about the spirit of the times right now. Who is the person that can provide an accurate diagnosis and realistic alternatives for the path the Lee Jae-myung administration must take and execute them? Looking at it that way, I judged that party leader candidate Kim Min-seok is the one who will fulfill that role completely.

▷Pyun Sang-wook: Being on the inside, there were many analyses that candidate Song Young-gil was running as candidate Kim Min-seok's running mate, but looking at what he is doing now, many analyze that he seems to be trying to become party leader himself. How do you see this?

▶Park Seong-jun: Every politician thinks they will win. Running to get elected is the right thing to do. It wouldn't make sense to say a candidate running for party leader is just playing a supporting role. Former Leader Song has his own political capability as well. He is an important asset to our party as a six-term lawmaker who served as party leader and mayor of Incheon, and he should be judged based on that track record. That choice clearly exists, and since former Leader Song is running hard right now, the primary proper will begin after tomorrow's preliminary election ends and candidates are announced, and he will have to prove his competitiveness as he runs through August 17.

▷Pyun Sang-wook: What time will tomorrow's preliminary election results be announced?

▶Park Seong-jun: They told us to stand by at 5:30, so I expect it will be announced around 6:00 PM after 5:30.

▷Pyun Sang-wook: By tomorrow, three party leader candidates and five Supreme Council members...

▶Park Seong-jun: It will be eight Supreme Council candidates. 14 people ran for Supreme Council and 8 will be announced, and I need to be among them.

▷Pyun Sang-wook: I hope you make the cut too, but while the pro-Jung candidate group is narrowed down to three, there are so many non-pro-Jung candidates. Some analyze that this makes the competition to stand out even fiercer.

▶Park Seong-jun: They should be called pro-Lee candidates, but the media classifies them as pro-Lee versus pro-Jung candidates. Because so many great candidates came forward, we are competing in good faith. Once eight candidates are shortlisted in tomorrow's preliminary election during this good-faith competition, another phase of the primary will take place—the main election. A fiercer battle will unfold there.

▷Pyun Sang-wook: Let's also cover party issues. Lately, author Rhyu Si-min has been appearing on YouTube and other platforms daily with increasingly intense remarks. Yesterday, he even went so far as to make extreme statements, saying "a fish market smells fishy" and "if you suppress the media, it can produce a rotting stench." Why do you think he is doing this?

▶Park Seong-jun: Author Rhyu Si-min probably has various points in mind. There may be areas he is dissatisfied with, but I think there is an issue with his choice of words, and his judgment of the situation seems somewhat different from mine.

▷Pyun Sang-wook: In what way?

▶Park Seong-jun: From author Rhyu Si-min's perspective, he considers prosecutorial reform to be insufficient, which is why he is using targeting language against the Lee Jae-myung administration, particularly against President Lee Jae-myung. He is brandishing a dagger. Looking at his language—saying it will inevitably fail, or going as far as mentioning "fishy smell" and "rotting stench" as you mentioned, Anchor—he is using offensive language unbecoming of author Rhyu Si-min to attack President Lee. He is pointing a dagger, but President Lee is currently a responsible president who must carry out his role, isn't he? Along with earnest consideration of what is needed to improve the public's quality of life while protecting their most essential human rights, shouldn't he also take responsibility accordingly? If so, there is clearly a procedural process of listening to the public, deliberating, and opening up issues for public discussion to shape decisions. We are clearly in that process, and I find it unfortunate that author Rhyu Si-min seems to have overlooked that.

▷Pyun Sang-wook: Regardless of what anyone says, isn't author Rhyu Si-min a major speaker for the ruling camp?

▶Park Seong-jun: That's right.

▷Pyun Sang-wook: But what do you think is his intention behind adopting a stance that attacks the current president—created by the ruling camp—with what almost amounts to extreme language?

▶Park Seong-jun: I think he probably believed he was giving a warning. I see him using extreme language to send a warning message through political critique to President Lee Jae-myung that shortcomings in prosecutorial reform could ultimately create difficulties for the Lee Jae-myung administration. But I believe political critique—isn't political critique supposed to be balanced? And through political critique, it should serve like a guidebook showing the government and colleagues, the politicians who worked together, the path to stay on track. But that balance has been broken, so I feel author Rhyu Si-min is now running as a political player. In effect, he seems to have become a politician. He has become a player. That's because if something doesn't match his thoughts and direction, he uses it to rally his supporters and adopt offensive language to establish a political front. Therefore, I believe author Rhyu Si-min has already moved beyond political critique to become a politician, and his political language itself has crossed a line that shouldn't be crossed.

▷Pyun Sang-wook: Also, candidate Kim Min-seok raised allegations regarding Shincheonji. There were claims that Shincheonji exerted political influence within the People Power Party, raising suspicions about whether it did so in the Democratic Party as well. However, candidate Kim Min-seok has not provided clear evidence yet. How do you view this, Rep. Park?

▶Park Seong-jun: When we speak of religious groups—the foundation of the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, so to speak—former presidential candidate Hong Joon-pyo also said something similar during the 2022 presidential election, didn't he?

▷Pyun Sang-wook: He mentioned it multiple times.

▶Park Seong-jun: He mentioned it multiple times. In the People Power Party, groups like the Unification Church or Shincheonji joined as party members and interfered in the presidential election, which became the catalyst for the arrest of Shincheonji's leader, Lee Man-hee, didn't it? Ultimately, it reached a point where such religious groups joined political parties and shook up the political landscape. Considering that situation in the People Power Party, there is clearly a possibility that such religious groups might also join the Democratic Party to muddy the political waters. So I think candidate Kim Min-seok issued a warning message on this matter. That is why one of the things we need to closely examine and improve in our Political Parties Act is that we still haven't fully solved the issue of dual party membership.

▷Pyun Sang-wook: Dual party membership is always possible because party member lists are not public.

▶Park Seong-jun: It is possible, and because that in itself presents many problems, I think we need to consider institutional improvements for that as well.

▷Pyun Sang-wook: Regarding the Shincheonji issue, candidate Kim Min-seok did not name candidate Jung Chung-rae directly. He only argued that a separation is needed, but to anyone watching, he is targeting candidate Jung Chung-rae. If the Shincheonji controversy grows, it seems it could have a huge impact on the national convention. How do you foresee this?

▶Park Seong-jun: For instance, issues like Shincheonji joining political parties or political interference—a party can only breathe and stay alive if it decisively cuts them off. From that standpoint, I believe what needs to be excised must be excised. Looked at from that perspective, shouldn't party leader candidate Jung Chung-rae respond even more aggressively by saying, "If there is a Shincheonji issue, let me excise it immediately"? Instead of framing it as targeting himself, I believe candidates for party leader should not overlook this issue, because blocking religious groups from political interference at the root is essential for party integrity, future vitality, and political lifespan.

▷Pyun Sang-wook: The issue of the president selling his house has also been a huge topic. Criticisms are emerging that when the president sold his home for 2.9 billion won and established a mortgage of 1.77 billion won—meaning in simple terms the home seller essentially lent the money—it was a trick regarding the real estate policies he put forward. How do you see this, Rep. Park?

▶Park Seong-jun: The People Power Party always plays tricks, so everything looks like a trick to them. Politics should be viewed through the principle of doing things the right way. If the president sold his house and calculated a scheme like that, there is no way the public wouldn't notice, and knowing what consequences would follow if the public perceived it that way, why would he do such a thing? Real estate policy is currently the hottest issue right now. The president sold it to lead by example, and in that process, didn't he also consider the buyer's financial situation? Looking at it from that perspective, it is a simple matter, so turning it into a political dispute itself is unfortunate. In fact, I'd like to ask back: if there are lawmakers saying such things, aren't there many multi-home owners in the People Power Party? Isn't Representative Jang Dong-hyeok a multi-home owner himself? Why not point out those issues first instead of taking issue with selling a single home, when real estate stabilization requires such actions? From that perspective, it should be understood that the president made a difficult decision.

▷Pyun Sang-wook: Let's also address the issue of supplementary investigative power. Public opinion polls show fairly high support for the view that the prosecution's supplementary investigative power should not be completely stripped, don't they? However, the Democratic Party leadership seems to be gathering consensus toward eliminating supplementary investigative power entirely again. What is your position, Rep. Park?

▶Park Seong-jun: They are contemplating a lot right now, aren't they? A final conclusion hasn't been reached yet, and isn't withholding direct investigative powers—rather than supplementary investigative powers—in line with the Democratic Party's existing stance as well as the global principle of separating prosecution investigation and indictment? There was a principle not to give direct investigative powers to prosecutors, but following incidents like the Jang Yun-gi case, when investigative powers are concentrated solely in the police, there is a sense of anxiety among the public. Efforts are underway to address this, and complementary measures are being prepared, so I believe the party will produce a good result.

▷Pyun Sang-wook: There seems to be an atmosphere to process it quickly before the national convention. Is that actually the case?

▶Park Seong-jun: Isn't that the decision of the party leadership? Seeing what happened at the last general meeting of lawmakers regarding how to refine the existing bill, and seeing Rep. Kim Seung-won hold four bill subcommittee meetings in a single week, sufficient discussions on key issues are taking place, so I believe a bill will be finalized.

▷Pyun Sang-wook: We only have 30 seconds left. Why you, Park Seong-jun, and what kind of Supreme Council member will you become? The floor is yours.

▶Park Seong-jun: My slogan is "The Game-Changer of the Democratic Party, the Strategist Who Delivers Victory for the Ruling Party." When I served as senior floor deputy leader and party spokesperson, I completely overwhelmed the People Power Party. By overwhelming them, I played a key role in gaining the upper hand not only in election strategy but also on the political front. If I become a Supreme Council member, I will definitely make the Democratic Party a winning party, a strong party, and a capable party.

▷Pyun Sang-wook: You mentioned we should know the news by around 6:00 PM tomorrow. We will look forward to good news. Thank you for speaking with us today.

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