- Party members told me it was refreshing to hear a cool-headed evaluation of Jung Chung-rae
- Decided to run after Rhyu Si-min's remarks... thought things couldn't go on like this
- Running to actively represent the voices of the socially vulnerable
- Members reacted "so refreshing" to raising issues over pro-Chung faction's actions
- It's only the first year of the Lee Jae-myung administration, "Why are they shaking things up like this?"
- Rep. Choi Min-hee taking 1st place? Unlikely; a 4:1 ratio for pro-Myung faction is also possible
- Honam will choose someone who can help the Lee administration and the Democratic Party succeed
- Cause of the Democratic Party's crisis? Being shaken from within
- Must embrace both party members and the public... cannot become 'Jung Chung-rae's Party' or 'Team Jung Chung-rae'
- Resolving convention conflicts? The winner must embrace the loser
- YouTubers should feel responsible for blatantly dividing party members

■ Broadcast: SBS Kim Tae-hyun's Political Show (FM 103.5MHz 7:00 – 9:00 AM)
■ Date: August 12, 2026 (Wed)
■ Host: Attorney Kim Tae-hyun
■ Guest: Seo Mi-hwa, Democratic Party Supreme Council Candidate

[Kim Tae-hyun] Next, it's time to meet the candidates running in the Democratic Party of Korea's national convention. Today, we have Supreme Council candidate Seo Mi-hwa with us. Hello, Representative.

[Seo Mi-hwa] Hello.

[Kim Tae-hyun] Representative, how is your campaign going?

[Seo Mi-hwa] I am working hard.

[Kim Tae-hyun] The results seem good so far.

[Seo Mi-hwa] Many people are cheering me on.

[Kim Tae-hyun] A total of five Supreme Council members are being elected, right? Are you in about third place right now?

[Seo Mi-hwa] I am in fourth place.

[Kim Tae-hyun] Weren't you in third?

[Seo Mi-hwa] Yes. The gap between me and third place is 0.15 percentage points, about 600 votes.

[Kim Tae-hyun] Then please explain why "Seo Mi-hwa" should enter the Democratic Party leadership at this exact moment.

[Seo Mi-hwa] It sounds like you are asking for my declaration of candidacy.

[Kim Tae-hyun] Yes.

[Seo Mi-hwa] The reason I decided to run is so that our Democratic Party can more actively support the success of the Lee Jae-myung administration, and above all, I am a visually impaired woman. Our Democratic Party has proclaimed that its identity is a party advocating for and embracing ordinary working people and the socially vulnerable, but until now, a person directly belonging to those groups has never run for Supreme Council member.

[Kim Tae-hyun] That's true.

[Seo Mi-hwa] So as I made my decision and stepped up, I thought, "There is no failure in my challenge—only success or learning." When I jumped in, so many people with disabilities and people I worked with in the human rights movement called me, deeply moved by the challenge itself. They said it gave them hope to the point of being overwhelmed with emotion. They said, "Just imagining Seo Mi-hwa, of all people, sitting as a Supreme Council member gives us so much strength." Receiving such encouragement made me realize that I was right to run, and I stepped forward to actively represent their voices at the central level of the Democratic Party.

[Kim Tae-hyun] Rep. Park Ji-won praised you highly, saying, "A star has emerged at the national convention." You give speeches at the convention, right? Your speeches seem very passionate and dynamic. I heard you even edit your speech manuscripts on site. Do you feel that atmosphere on the ground? The sense that you've become somewhat popular? The atmosphere seems great—honestly, can you feel it?

[Seo Mi-hwa] Since my popularity has risen so much, I feel a little nervous wondering when it might drop.

[Kim Tae-hyun] Really?

[Seo Mi-hwa] Rather than being enthusiastic about me personally, Seo Mi-hwa as a human being, many people appreciated that from the start I clearly laid out what the leadership should look like for the success of the Lee Jae-myung administration. Also, I made cool-headed evaluations and criticisms regarding Representative Jung Chung-rae, who was part of the first-term leadership. I did that right from the beginning. I kept pointing out that a sober evaluation of the local elections was necessary, but that wasn't happening. In that regard, our party members felt very refreshed. Also, issues like the "no comment" stance on writer Rhyu Si-min's remarks, or statements like "governments are short, but the people are eternal." Going through that process made me decide that these points must be raised clearly, because the party leader is not just the individual Jung Chung-rae. The responsibility of the leader is to represent the position of the Democratic Party. So party members felt refreshed that I pointed out such accountability and thanked me for saying what needed to be said.

[Kim Tae-hyun] I see.

[Seo Mi-hwa] So while some are supporting Seo Mi-hwa, I perceive that party members already have an answer in mind about what the Democratic Party leadership should look like, and I am simply voicing that answer for them.

[Kim Tae-hyun] You are saying that because you actively pointed out the problems regarding candidate Jung Chung-rae and so-called 'Team Jung Chung-rae,' party members reacted by saying it felt refreshing.

[Seo Mi-hwa] I think that's how my popularity rose. I didn't know it would rise like this. Thank you.

[Kim Tae-hyun] Is that so? But your popularity could rise even further with the upcoming Honam primary. Right now, you are 4th in cumulative vote percentage—though a 4th place with barely any gap with 3rd. But now the voting for dues-paying party members in Honam has begun. Representative, you were born in Muan and lived in Mokpo. A daughter of Honam.

[Seo Mi-hwa] Yes.

[Kim Tae-hyun] You expect to do well in Honam, right?

[Seo Mi-hwa] They are giving me so much support. I have been traveling around Honam since Monday of this week to greet people and campaign, and the support is truly beyond imagination. On the ground, so many party members spontaneously made placards and shouted my name, "Seo Mi-hwa, Seo Mi-hwa." Watching that, I thought, "During my time as a party member, I was never able to do something like that." I was amazed, but also felt deeply appreciative and humbled.

[Kim Tae-hyun] Yes.

[Seo Mi-hwa] However, some say Honam voters only vote for someone because they were born and live in Honam. Of course, there are many such people. But that is not the sole criterion for their choice. Historically, whenever our country was in peril or democracy was threatened, Honam stood up, spoke out, and risked lives to defend it. In a way, our Democratic Party is facing a crisis right now. It has only been a year since President Lee Jae-myung took office, yet they are shaking things up like this and making things so difficult, causing approval ratings to drop.

[Kim Tae-hyun] Who is making things difficult, and who is shaking things up?

[Seo Mi-hwa] Well, you know who.

[Kim Tae-hyun] Who could it be? Who is "you know who"? Is the enemy inside rather than in the opposition party?

[Seo Mi-hwa] Yes. People from our own camp, right after President Lee Jae-myung completed his first year—especially writer Rhyu Si-min, who has real influence, making remarks like saying it will definitely go down the path of failure, or that it smells like rotten fish in a fish market. Looking at comments on new media platforms after that, I observed a noticeable increase in blatant, reckless insults directed at President Lee Jae-myung.

[Kim Tae-hyun] So you are saying the shaking is coming from within rather than from outside.

[Seo Mi-hwa] Yes. Even the People Power Party doesn't speak like that. They don't say things like "regimes are short."

[Kim Tae-hyun] Indeed, they don't.

[Seo Mi-hwa] Seeing all this, the people of Honam assess who can properly back the Lee Jae-myung administration to make it successful. Also, regarding the three major mega-projects starting in Honam, a speed war—and now even a blitzkrieg—has been declared. Then the Special Act on Mega-Projects must also be passed within this year. Honam voters are the ones who judge and choose a leadership that can keep pace on legislative and budget review matters. People say "I was born in Honam," everyone claims to be born in Honam. But if everyone says so, you can't vote for all of them. Therefore, the key fact and criterion is that the people of Honam will choose someone who can help the nation prosper and enable the Democratic Party to do well. That's why I believe I might receive many of their votes.

[Kim Tae-hyun] I see.

[Seo Mi-hwa] Yes.

[Kim Tae-hyun] How do you think the candidates of so-called 'Team Jung Chung-rae' will perform? Looking at the current standings—omitting titles—the cumulative vote order is Choi Min-hee, Park Sun-won, Han Min-soo, Seo Mi-hwa, Kim Yong, and Lee Seong-yun, right?

[Seo Mi-hwa] I believe Rep. Choi Min-hee will definitely not take 1st place.

[Kim Tae-hyun] Really?

[Seo Mi-hwa] Yes, because of our Honam voters. She might stay within the winning ranks, but I don't think she will be 1st. Representative Kim Min-seok currently has high support ratings. Honam voters are capable of making political choices better than mediocre politicians, driven by the awareness that we must become a true 'one team' centered around the party leader to support the Lee Jae-myung administration.

[Kim Tae-hyun] So in your estimation, candidate Choi Min-hee will not become the top Supreme Council member.

[Seo Mi-hwa] Yes.

[Kim Tae-hyun] And among the five Supreme Council members, pro-Myung candidates will take the majority over pro-Chung candidates?

[Seo Mi-hwa] That's right. Currently it is 3 to 2, but I think it could even become 4 to 1.

[Kim Tae-hyun] Is that so?

[Seo Mi-hwa] Yes. Although Honam is running in the final stretch, only 30% of party members have voted so far. Currently, 71% of remaining voters reside in Honam, Seoul, and Gyeonggi, and 33% of all dues-paying party members are in Honam. (Note: At the request of Rep. Seo Mi-hwa's office, the remark "over 50% are in Honam; about 50% are in Honam" was revised to "33% of all dues-paying party members are in Honam" to prevent misunderstanding. Please refer to this for the interview.)

[Kim Tae-hyun] Isn't the decisive reason why candidate Choi Min-hee won't take 1st place the clash—or near clash—she had with candidate Seo Mi-hwa during the speeches?

[Seo Mi-hwa] Well, there is that issue, the 'bat' controversy, and recently blocking reporters' cameras, called 'cam-block.'

[Kim Tae-hyun] OhmyNews?

[Seo Mi-hwa] Yes. Yesterday, they issued statements calling for her resignation. I believe party members who are voters are continuously watching such matters with keen sensitivity.

[Kim Tae-hyun] How do you see the party leadership race? Because candidate Jung Chung-rae is appealing ahead of the Honam voting, saying, "Mothers and fathers of Honam, please protect Jung Chung-rae." This is because Representative Jung, as leader at the time, put a lot of effort into Honam during the local elections.

[Seo Mi-hwa] Representative Jung Chung-rae is now calling them mother and father, whereas previously he urged NOSAMO (Roh Moo-hyun support group) members to call Honam voters and persuade them. Former Representative Song Young-gil commented on that, saying, "Are we asleep? He probably meant to wake us up." Depending on political advantage, when his support falls, he sometimes treats Honam people as if they are sleeping, and other times appeals to them as parents to trigger emotional responses. Frankly, the people of Honam are not a group that gets persuaded by NOSAMO. Rather, I believe the people of Honam awakened South Korean democracy, exerted influence, and defended and grew South Korea's democracy.

[Kim Tae-hyun] Yes.

[Seo Mi-hwa] Those moves are very inappropriate campaign strategies, and in our Jeolla dialect, that's not a strategy that 'works.' I think his strategy is misplaced.

[Kim Tae-hyun] Understood. Listening to your comments, the main thrust seems to be that we cannot entrust the Democratic Party to 'Team Jung Chung-rae,' and if we do, the Lee Jae-myung administration will not succeed.

[Seo Mi-hwa] Yes.

[Kim Tae-hyun] What concerns you the most if the Democratic Party is entrusted to Team Jung Chung-rae?

[Seo Mi-hwa] Selecting the Democratic Party leadership shouldn't be about centering around a specific individual to protect them and forming a team centered on Representative Jung Chung-rae—after all, the Democratic Party is not Jung Chung-rae's party.

[Kim Tae-hyun] So it could become a privatized party?

[Seo Mi-hwa] Exactly. I find it very troubling that they strategically move forward with such dangerous ideas. During speeches, all three of them come up and chant "Jung Chung-rae, Jung Chung-rae." Of course, if I say that, they might say our side chants "Kim Min-seok," but they are being far too blatant. That's why Representative Song Young-gil said, "Chung-rae Party? What on earth is that? Even Kim Il-sung didn't make a Kim Il-sung Party." The Democratic Party is the ruling party that must expand much further. President Lee Jae-myung is everyone's president.

[Kim Tae-hyun] Not an opposition party.

[Seo Mi-hwa] Right. A political party must also be everyone's party. Embracing not only party members but the general public, working for the people, and supporting the success of the Lee Jae-myung administration—that is what serves the country. How can it be 'Team Jung Chung-rae'?

[Kim Tae-hyun] If candidate Jung Chung-rae becomes party leader again, the party might reorganize around hardline supporters, making moderate expansion...

[Seo Mi-hwa] That won't be easy.

[Kim Tae-hyun] ...and building the "structural majority" mentioned by the president will become difficult—that's what you mean, right?

[Seo Mi-hwa] Exactly. That is how it has been over the past year. During Lee Jae-myung's tenure as party leader, the Democratic Party was doing very well. Since entering the Assembly, I have only experienced two party leaders directly, so I naturally draw comparisons. The Democratic Party must grow bigger. It needs to broaden, be more inclusive, and just as President Lee Jae-myung seeks to be everyone's president, the Democratic Party must expand into everyone's Democratic Party.

[Kim Tae-hyun] Representative, clashes between both sides are intensifying during this convention. People are saying that if they become party leader, they will convene the ethics committee for inspections, and yesterday candidate Jung Chung-rae's side raised issues about an illegal phone banking room linked to candidate Kim Min-seok's side. Clashes typically seen in a general election are happening right now at the party convention. Can this be repaired? Can you become 'one team' after the convention?

[Seo Mi-hwa] Yes, it must be repaired.

[Kim Tae-hyun] Naturally, from a normative standpoint it should be repaired. But suppose you are elected as a Supreme Council member, but the leader is Jung Chung-rae, and most Supreme Council members belong to Team Jung Chung-rae. Will you be able to work smoothly with them?

[Seo Mi-hwa] I don't think that will happen.

[Kim Tae-hyun] Such an outcome itself.

[Seo Mi-hwa] Yes. And whoever wins, I believe the winner must embrace the rest.

[Kim Tae-hyun] Of course.

[Seo Mi-hwa] Embrace those who lost, include them. And Representative Jung Chung-rae appeals mainly to core supporters while operating as a team with a small minority of lawmakers in the National Assembly. Fortunately, they are a minority. He himself created a confrontation from the start, saying that 160 lawmakers wouldn't help him while contrasting them with 1.6 million party members. But being a minority means that the majority of lawmakers can embrace and include them.

[Kim Tae-hyun] Yes.

[Seo Mi-hwa] So the party members are the issue. They are far too divided into factions.

[Kim Tae-hyun] That's true.

[Seo Mi-hwa] Regarding responsibility for this, I believe we must take collective responsibility for factional conflicts that emerged during the leadership race, and work to embrace and persuade party members. Also, in this era of new media, given that major YouTubers have engaged in blatant factional division, I would like to request that YouTubers also feel responsibility and cooperate by sending messages that foster unity and healing.

[Kim Tae-hyun] Whoever becomes party leader must embrace the opposing side, and you are saying you can also coordinate and embrace pro-Chung Supreme Council members even if they are a minority.

[Seo Mi-hwa] Right. Personally, I hold no hard feelings. Even now, if people attack me, I don't really mind. I understand that elections involve competition, so things can overheat.

[Kim Tae-hyun] Representative, we have 30 seconds left. Briefly, regarding the drop in the president's approval rating, candidate Jung Chung-rae said that the core support base turned its back, and that if he becomes leader, ratings will rise by 10 percentage points. Do you agree with this?

[Seo Mi-hwa] I absolutely disagree. Ever since the local elections ended—before the local elections, the president's approval rating was at 64% – 68%, up to 69%. After the local elections, it fell to 57% and has been continuously falling. This downward trend in approval ratings is because our Democratic Party made too many mistakes.

[Kim Tae-hyun] I see. So former Representative Jung Chung-rae bears significant responsibility?

[Seo Mi-hwa] Yes. It is big. The responsibility of the previous leadership is very large. The public doesn't expect everything to be perfect. If you clearly acknowledge mistakes and apologize, our public is willing to trust and wait.

[Kim Tae-hyun] Understood. We will end here today.

[Seo Mi-hwa] Thank you.

[Kim Tae-hyun] That was Seo Mi-hwa, Democratic Party Supreme Council candidate. Thank you.

[Seo Mi-hwa] Thank you.

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