Conflict Over Presidential Primary Schedule Between Lee Nak-yeon·Chung Sye-kyun Factions and Lee Jae-myung Faction Escalates into Full-Scale War

Adherence to Leadership Principles
Pro-문, Lee Nak-yeon, and Jeong Sye-gyun Faction Lawmakers
Demand Party Meeting to Postpone Primary Election
Over 60 Lawmakers Sign Petition for Delay

Song Young-gil's Collective Action Causes Concern
Discussed at Supreme Council but No Conclusion Reached

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeon Jin-young] The conflict between the factions of Lee Nak-yeon and Chung Sye-kyun and the faction of Lee Jae-myung over the primary election schedule for next year's presidential election appears to be escalating into an all-out war. When the party leadership decided to proceed with the presidential primary schedule as planned, lawmakers from the Lee Nak-yeon, Chung Sye-kyun, and pro-Moon (pro-Moon Jae-in) factions who advocated for postponement rebelled.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 18th, the Democratic Party discussed a plan to finalize the primary schedule in early September, 180 days before the presidential election, at the morning Supreme Council meeting but ultimately failed to reach a conclusion. Senior spokesperson Ko Yong-jin told reporters, "The presidential primary schedule was not decided at today's Supreme Council meeting," adding, "The leadership will discuss it after gathering opinions from each candidate and lawmakers."

The pro-Moon faction and the Lee Nak-yeon and Chung Sye-kyun factions, who initially raised this issue, requested a general assembly of lawmakers the day before to postpone the primary. Over 60 lawmakers circulated a petition and signed the request, delivering it to Floor Leader Yoon Ho-jung. Lawmakers Kim Young-joo, Park Kwang-on, Kim Gyo-heung, Kim Jong-min, Jeon Jae-soo, Choi In-ho, Oh Young-hoon, and Yoon Young-chan were among the signatories.

As the conflict intensified, with one-third of the affiliated lawmakers demanding a postponement of the primary, the leadership's decision became crucial. Party leader Song Young-gil appeared to uphold the principle in a media interview the day before, stating, "It is difficult for the public and party members to agree to changing the party constitution and regulations," but this collective action has caused him to reconsider. Within the Supreme Council, opinions are divided between postponing and proceeding with the primary, making it unlikely that a conclusion will be reached that day.

The camp of Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung immediately opposed the postponement, calling it "for the benefit of a specific faction." Jung Sung-ho, the leader of the Lee Jae-myung faction, criticized, "They are distorting the party constitution with a strained interpretation." Governor Lee himself had previously criticized the demand for postponement based on the primary's popularity on the 15th, saying, "There was a time when fake medicine sellers performed strange tricks or brought rare animals that people rarely saw to gather crowds and then sold fake medicine."

Other candidates also joined in urging the leadership to make a decision. Lawmaker Park Yong-jin, who has consistently advocated for postponing the primary, said in an interview with MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' on the same day, "The leadership should have resolved this before such issues arose, and it is the same now," expressing concern, "I worry that the public will see this as a chaotic internal struggle." On the same day, party members planned to hold an emergency press conference in front of the National Assembly, urging a complete reconsideration of the primary method and schedule to ensure the reestablishment of the administration.

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