Democratic Party Denies "Baseless" Rumors of Donggyo-dong Faction Rejoining

Lee Nak-yeon and Jung Dae-chul Meet to Discuss Current Issues
Pro-Moon Faction Opposes Rumors of Reinstatement
Lee: "We Must Help in a Senior Statesmanlike Manner"

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeon Jin-young] As rumors of the reinstatement of Donggyodong faction figures who had collectively left the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) reignited, the party moved to quell internal backlash by calling the rumors 'baseless.'

On the 11th, it was reported through the media that DPK leader Lee Nak-yeon and former lawmaker Jeong Dae-cheol met to discuss major issues such as the presidential election, which sparked opposition within the party's pro-Moon Jae-in (pro-Moon) faction regarding the reinstatement issue. Jeon Jae-soo, a lawmaker classified as a pro-Moon from Yeongnam, said that day, "Hostile acts from just a few years ago have piled up like a mountain," and lawmaker Jeong Cheong-rae opposed, saying, "What justification do former convicts have to re-enter the party?"

In response, the party issued an official statement calling the rumors 'baseless' and sought to dispel the controversy, with Leader Lee also stepping in to calm the situation. At the Supreme Council meeting on the morning of the 12th, Lee drew a line by saying, "The elders of the Donggyodong faction are believed to support in a dignified manner from outside the Democratic Party." Chief spokesperson Choi In-ho strongly criticized on Facebook that day, saying, "Former lawmaker Jeong's reinstatement is self-serving," and "Using a public party for personal and surrounding political positions is old-fashioned politics." When rumors of reinstatement flared up following reports of the meeting between Leader Lee and former lawmaker Jeong the previous day, Chief Spokesperson Choi also stated in an official message to the press corps, "Discussions about the Donggyodong faction's reinstatement reported by some media are baseless, and there are no plans for it in the future."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Although rumors of reinstatement arise due to Leader Lee's close ties with the Donggyodong faction, the likelihood of it actually happening seems low. This is because internal opposition to the Donggyodong faction remains strong. The Donggyodong faction, a group of aides to the late President Kim Dae-jung, collectively left the Democratic Party in 2016 ahead of the 20th general election, attacking then-leader Moon Jae-in. Since this was effectively interpreted as a break from the pro-Roh (pro-Roh Moo-hyun) and pro-Moon factions, reconciliation appears difficult. They later promoted a 'third zone theory' and supported the founding of the People's Party but have since operated without a clear position. In April, ahead of the 21st general election, they declared support for Leader Lee and expressed willingness to return to the party, but internal opposition and former leader Lee Hae-chan's rejection caused the plan to fail.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Former lawmaker Jeong denied the reinstatement rumors in a phone interview with Asia Economy, saying, "The topic of reinstatement never came up during the meeting with Leader Lee." He added, "What more ambition would lawmakers like me and former lawmaker Kwon No-gap have? It is not necessary to be a party member to support Leader Lee."

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