"At the Beginning of the Democratic Party's Prolonged Slump" First Election Evaluation Debate

Democratic Party Presidential and Local Election Evaluation Forum on the 8th

The Emergency Response Committee of the Democratic Party of Korea decided to resign en masse, taking responsibility for the defeat in the June 1 local elections. On the 3rd, the central party office in Yeouido, Seoul, showed a desolate scene. On the same day, the Democratic Party plans to hold a joint meeting of lawmakers and the party affairs committee to discuss measures to recover from the crushing defeat in the June 1 local elections. Photo by Yoon Dong-ju doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Chae-eun] First-term and second-term lawmakers of the Democratic Party of Korea held their first discussion session on the evaluation of the presidential and local election defeats on the 8th. Criticism arose that due to the gap between party sentiment and public sentiment, the Democratic Party is at the beginning of a long-term stagnation. It was also pointed out that during the presidential election, compared to the People Power Party, the Democratic Party failed to show signs of change and the spirit of the times, and that the so-called ‘Jjeotjalsa’ (lost but fought well) atmosphere following the presidential election led to the defeat in the local elections.

Ten first- and second-term Democratic Party lawmakers, including Lee Tan-hee and Kim Sung-joo, held the first discussion session evaluating the presidential and local elections at the National Assembly Members' Office Building on the same day.

Lee Eun-young, director of Human & Data, said, “The People Power Party, under the leadership of a 30-something first-term party leader, improved the system to appoint new figures, but the Democratic Party seems deeply bureaucratized in its working methods,” adding, “It was also insufficient in presenting the spirit of the times.” Kim Joon-il, CEO of Newstope, diagnosed, “There is a large gap between party sentiment and public sentiment, between the Democratic Party’s current supporters and those who have left,” and said, “The Democratic Party is at the beginning of a long-term stagnation.” Choi Byung-chun, deputy director of the Korea Society Opinion Institute (KSOI), criticized, “As a result of evaluating the successful presidential candidate and president, the Democratic Party has become a party without a cause for the presidential election defeat.”

After the discussion session, Representative Lee Tan-hee told reporters, “There were comments that the Democratic Party needs to clarify its values and aspirations and discover agendas before responding centered on individual policies,” and added, “There was consensus that the Democratic Party is currently in a very serious crisis.” The representative also said, “There was a consensus among many lawmakers that the achievements and failures of the Moon Jae-in administration and the political trajectory of candidate Lee Jae-myung need to be evaluated objectively.” Representative Min Byung-duk also said, “The point that the Democratic Party has two ghosts, ‘Jjeotjalsa’ and ‘Jalhaetjjeot’ (did well but lost), resonated deeply.”

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