Will Lee Nak-yeon Take the Party Leadership Route on His Path to the Presidency?

Lee Nak-yeon, the elected member of the Democratic Party of Korea, and Kim Tae-nyeon, the floor leader, are attending the "Post-Corona Era Untact Industry Strategy Forum" held at the National Assembly on the 13th, having a conversation during the meeting. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Nahum] Lee Hae-chan, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, has decided to hold the party convention as scheduled in August. Amid interpretations that this sends a warning signal regarding the 'Lee Nak-yeon interim leadership system' raised by some, Lee Nak-yeon, chairman of the COVID-19 National Crisis Management Committee, is also facing deeper considerations about challenging for party leadership.

According to Democratic Party officials on the 13th, Lee officially confirmed the August party convention through the Supreme Council. Lee reportedly stated, "Not only candidate nominations but also party operations should proceed according to a system and be predictable."

Within the Democratic Party, the 'interim leadership' system centered around Chairman Lee, a leading presidential candidate, has been discussed. The proposal is to postpone the August party convention and select a party leader for a 6-7 month term through an acclamation method. This proposal stems from the party regulations that stipulate the 'separation of presidential and party leadership.' According to the regulations, a party leader must resign one year before running for president. Since resignation must occur before March 2021, the party leader would effectively serve only a 7-month term, which has become a factor causing Chairman Lee, considered a strong contender for party leadership, to hesitate in running.

With Lee Hae-chan setting the August party convention date, the argument for an 'interim leadership system' has lost momentum. At the same time, Chairman Lee Nak-yeon faces a crossroads on whether to go through the party leadership before the presidential election or to run directly.

Within the party, opinions are divided on Chairman Lee's candidacy for party leader. Supporters argue that his challenge for party leadership will serve as an opportunity to expand his support base within the party, which has been considered a weakness. They also cite the need for stable leadership amid the economic crisis caused by COVID-19 and the second half of the Moon Jae-in administration's governance.

On the other hand, opponents emphasize that it could cause unnecessary damage to a leading presidential candidate. With former floor leaders such as Song Young-gil, who placed second in the last party leadership election, as well as Hong Young-pyo, Lee In-young, and Woo Won-shik expected to run, the focus of attacks could concentrate on the strong candidate, Chairman Lee.

For now, since more than a month remains until candidate registration, Chairman Lee is expected to decide on his candidacy while monitoring internal party sentiment. Regarding his challenge for party leadership, he said on the day, "I will speak at an appropriate time."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.