Opposition Party's Debate on 'Lee Jae-myung's Presidential Primary Candidacy'... "Must Hold Accountable" VS "Not Just Personal Fault"

Conflict Intensifies Between Pro-Moon and Pro-Myung Factions Over Lee's Party Convention Candidacy
Pro-Moon: "Lee Must Take Responsibility for Election Defeat," Pro-Myung: "Political Offensive Goes Too Far" Clash
Conflict Expected Over Party Leader Election Method Upon Launch of Preliminary Committee

Democratic Party lawmaker Lee Jae-myung is answering questions from reporters as he arrives for his first day at the National Assembly Members' Office Building on the 7th. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Yunjin Kim] There is a heated debate within the Democratic Party regarding Representative Lee Jae-myung's candidacy for the party leadership election. While opposition voices based on the 'Lee Jae-myung responsibility theory' are rising mainly among pro-Moon Jae-in faction lawmakers, pro-Lee Jae-myung faction lawmakers are countering that party-wide reform is more important than individual responsibility.

As Representative Lee is expected to challenge for the party leadership at the Democratic Party's convention in August, opinions within the party are divided. Among pro-Moon faction lawmakers, the 'Lee Jae-myung party leadership disqualification theory'?which goes a step further from holding Lee responsible for the presidential and local election defeats to opposing his candidacy?is gaining traction.

Senior pro-Moon faction lawmaker Jeon Hae-cheol appeared on CBS Radio's "Kim Hyun-jung's News Show" on the 15th and expressed a negative view on Lee's candidacy, saying, "Looking at the party headquarters, after the presidential defeat, the parties involved stepped back to prepare. It is inappropriate for (Lee) to immediately run in the convention where a new path should be taken." On the same day, at a presidential and local election evaluation discussion hosted by the Democratic Party's re-elected lawmakers' group, pro-Moon faction lawmaker Shin Dong-geun criticized, "It is right for Lee not to run for the sake of himself and the party. Can the 586 generation lose elections and then show off strength again at the convention? If nothing changes, whoever becomes (party leader) will face another 'total failure' in the general election."

Following public opinion calling for new leadership, the theory of generational change is also gaining momentum. Besides the leading party leader candidates, there is a call for a third figure, such as the '97 Group' (those born in the 1970s and who entered university in the 1990s), to lead party reform. The Democratic Party policy group The Better Future stated in a press release on the 16th, "Improvement alone cannot regain the people's trust. The core of innovation is newness," expressing their intention to discover new figures for the convention.

However, pro-Lee faction lawmakers rebutted, saying that blaming the entire party's problems on Lee personally is unfair. At the election evaluation discussion on the 15th, pro-Lee faction lawmaker Kim Byung-wook said, "Right after the local elections, there was an outpouring of responsibility theories targeting a specific candidate. Demanding a candidate to take responsibility is an excessive political attack," and argued, "Instead of banning certain groups from running, it is right for the 70s and 80s-born lawmakers to step up to lead the party's future." Pro-Lee faction lawmaker Lim Jong-sung also said, "Rather than blaming or praising anyone, the focus should be on the Democratic Party moving forward as a party for the people's livelihood."

Although the debate over Lee's candidacy for the party leadership election is intensifying, Lee has not made an official statement. Since the 8th, he has not scheduled any public events and has only communicated through social media, avoiding any mention of the 'Lee Jae-myung responsibility theory' or the 'Lee Jae-myung disqualification theory.'

Meanwhile, as the Democratic Party begins full preparations for the convention, the conflict is expected to deepen. On the 17th, the party appointed lawmaker Ahn Kyu-baek as the chairperson of the convention preparation committee at the party affairs committee meeting. Once the preparation committee is launched, revisions to the party leader election regulations are expected to be discussed. The current Democratic Party constitution stipulates the voting weight of each elector group in the party leader election as follows: 45% for party members with voting rights, 40% for delegates, 10% for general public opinion polls, and 5% for general party members' opinion polls. Pro-Lee faction lawmakers argue for reducing the delegate voting weight, which is dominated by the pro-Moon faction, and increasing the proportions for party members with voting rights and general public opinion polls, clashing with the pro-Moon faction that insists on maintaining the current regulations.

Chairperson Ahn Kyu-baek stated on KBS Radio on the 16th, "I will consider the arguments of both sides," adding, "Anyone who presents a vision to persuade party members and the public and takes responsibility to lead the party should be allowed to do so." He continued, "If it is judged that new leadership is needed, it is also possible for someone to develop their capabilities behind the scenes for a while. I will keep an open mind," expressing a neutral stance.

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