[Insight & Opinion] The Democratic Party Trapped in the "Lee Jae-myung Swamp"

"I will trust the people and continue to strive unwaveringly." This is what Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, said in his first statement after the arrest motion was passed. Despite the arrest motion being approved due to a ‘rebellion’ by a significant number of Democratic Party lawmakers and with the detention hearing imminent, he showed his determination to carry out his duties as party leader without wavering. It is conveyed that even if the court issues an arrest warrant and he is detained, he intends to remain in his leadership position.

Within the pro-Lee faction, the argument against resignation continues. "There will be no resignation from Leader Lee. Under his leadership, we will strive for victory in the Gangseo District Office election and the general election." (Jeong Cheong-rae, Supreme Council member) "Even in the worst-case scenario, as party leader, he must exercise his authority appropriately." (Jeong Seong-ho, lawmaker) The pro-Lee camp is even discussing the possibility of ‘prison nomination.’ Lee’s staunch supporters, known as ‘Gaeddal,’ are demanding the identification of lawmakers who voted in favor, saying "We must drive out the ‘subak’ (watermelons)." The Democratic Party leadership also condemned the approval vote as an "unacceptable act" and announced plans to identify those involved, stating, "We will gather the will of all party members and respond accordingly." The ‘resistance’ that Leader Lee initiated with his hunger strike has turned not against the Yoon Seok-yeol government but against the anti-Lee faction.

The Democratic Party appears unlikely to escape the ‘Lee Jae-myung risk’ for quite some time. Looking back, the party’s entrapment in the Lee Jae-myung risk is not a recent phenomenon.

Despite losing the presidential election last year, Leader Lee ran in a by-election for the National Assembly and even ran for party leader. Many argued that he should accept responsibility for the defeat and take time for reflection, but for Lee, securing a safety net to protect himself was urgent. It has now been one year and one month since Lee was elected party leader. However, nothing stands out as a significant achievement by the Democratic Party during this period. The party’s most earnest effort has been ‘protecting Lee Jae-myung,’ making it difficult to recall anything else. This is why the paradox arises that the biggest beneficiary of protecting Lee Jae-myung is the Yoon Seok-yeol government.

The day before the vote on the arrest motion, Leader Lee himself requested its rejection. He quickly reversed his promise made just three months earlier to waive parliamentary immunity. The hunger strike, once called a ‘people’s resistance,’ turned into a ‘bulletproof hunger strike’ and became a self-defeating move that increased the number of Democratic Party lawmakers voting in favor. The scene, difficult to understand logically, shows that Lee is trapped in an over-immersion with his own issues and unable to make rational judgments.

It is unfortunate for both ruling and opposition parties that a major opposition party with 168 seats in the National Assembly has been fixated on protecting its leader for over a year. Leader Lee may argue that this was unavoidable to resist ‘prosecutorial dictatorship,’ but ironically, such a response has contributed to masking the ruling party’s personnel chaos, as seen in this process.

If the warrant is dismissed, it would be a chance for Lee to turn the tables, but if the warrant is issued, it is questionable whether the Democratic Party can handle the aftermath. The anticipated clash between the pro-Lee faction, who want to protect him, and the anti-Lee faction, who want to prevent a ‘nomination massacre,’ is a minefield that could even trigger a party split. The ‘Gaeddal’ are clamoring to identify ‘traitors,’ and lawmakers are engaging in a ‘rejection certification’ relay. The party leadership is demanding lawmakers submit petitions for Lee’s warrant dismissal. The Democratic Party’s situation is becoming increasingly chaotic. The party is now stuck in the ‘Lee Jae-myung swamp.’ In trying to save Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party itself may perish.

Yoo Chang-sun, Political Commentator

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