"I Will Run for Party Leader as Planned"... What Is the Outcome of Park Ji-hyun's Lonely Fight?

Park Ji-hyun "Eodaemyeong Signals Party's Downfall, Promises Direct Reform"
Despite Prohibition from Emergency Committee Candidacy, Emphasizes Willingness to Run via SNS and Interviews
Woo Sang-ho "Official Debate Already Completed... No Room for Reconsideration"

Woo Sang-ho, Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the Democratic Party of Korea, is exchanging greetings after a lunch meeting with former Emergency Response Committee Chairwoman Park Ji-hyun at a restaurant in Yeouido, Seoul on the 13th. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Yunjin Kim] Former Emergency Committee Chairperson of the Democratic Party, Park Jihyun, is refusing to back down from her intention to run in the party convention despite opposition from the party. Park is launching attacks against the prominent party leader candidate, Representative Lee Jae-myung, and urging the party to approve her candidacy, but the party’s emergency committee maintains its stance that she does not qualify to run, prolonging the conflict.

Since declaring her candidacy for the Democratic Party convention on the 2nd, Park has been actively voicing her opinions through media interviews and social networking services (SNS). The party’s emergency committee and party affairs committee decided that she lacks the right to run because she has not been a registered party member for six months, which is required for candidacy, and she does not fall under any exceptions. However, Park countered, saying, "This cannot be judged by an official decision." She insists that unless the party affairs committee formally places her candidacy qualification on the agenda and votes on it, she will not accept the decision.

Park has been issuing messages daily, declaring her challenge for party leadership and sharply criticizing Representative Lee. She accuses Lee of being responsible for the presidential and local election defeats, attempting to cover up internal party sexual misconduct allegations such as the disciplinary action against Representative Choi Kang-wook, and forcing a "shield candidacy" in Incheon Gyeyang-eul to avoid judicial risks. On the 12th, she posted on her Facebook, "An election without a competitive innovation race in the Democratic Party, where the leader is decided anyway (Eodaemyeong), signals the party’s downfall," and urged, "If Representative Lee truly wants this convention to be a stage for innovation competition, let us compete together."

Regarding why she refuses to give up her candidacy, Park explained, "Many say my candidacy is driven by ambition for position, but that is not true," adding, "I am stepping up like an egg against a rock to keep the party’s promise of innovation." On May 24, a week before the local elections, she issued a public appeal containing the Democratic Party’s innovation promises, but the initiative was abandoned due to conflicts within the party leadership and the emergency committee’s mass resignation.

On the other hand, some analyze that Park’s direct attacks on the heavyweight figure Lee are a strategy to raise her profile and consolidate her support base. Political commentator Lee Jong-hoon pointed out, "Currently, aside from Representative Lee, no one in the Democratic Party receives as much attention as former Chairperson Park. If she plans to continue in politics, this is an opportunity she cannot miss," and predicted, "Through a kind of noise marketing claiming 'Lee betrayed me,' she aims to rally anti-Lee forces and establish herself as a rival candidate." This is seen as a move preparing for future political activities rather than this convention.

Within the party, many seem unable to understand Park’s insistence on running for party leader. Shin Hyun-young, spokesperson for the Democratic Party emergency committee, criticized in an interview on YTN Radio’s 'Issue & People' on the 11th, "We must compete fairly based on principles to have the results recognized." On the 12th, former emergency committee member Kwon Ji-woong appeared on KBS Radio’s 'Joo Jin-woo Live' and said, "If you originally don’t qualify to run, claiming you were pushed out because the qualification was not specially granted will not be well received by public opinion."

However, Park dismissed concerns about her candidacy, stating she will proceed with candidate registration as scheduled on the 17th. In an interview on the 12th with SisaIN’s YouTube channel 'Why Politics?', she said, "I expect the party to allow (candidate registration), but even if they don’t, I plan to do what I can," reiterating her demand for the party’s official resolution.

Nonetheless, the Democratic Party emergency committee has stated there will be no further discussions, making it unlikely that Park’s request will be accepted. Emergency committee member Woo Sang-ho drew a line in an interview on CBS Radio’s 'One Round Match' on the 12th, saying, "(Park’s candidacy qualification) has already been officially debated and interpreted by the emergency and party affairs committees, so re-discussion is difficult." After a luncheon meeting with Woo on the 13th, Park said, "I will hold an official press conference to declare my candidacy this week. Candidate registration will proceed as planned," adding, "Woo also said he respects my decision. I think the party will make a decision later."

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