Im Hyuk-baek "Only I Know the Cutoff List"... Increasing Centrifugal Force in the Opposition Party

Democratic Party Nomination Committee Chair Denies 'Cutoff List' Leak
Yoon Young-chan Holds Press Conference Rejecting Results Following Kim Young-joo and Park Yong-jin
Pro-Moon Faction Expected to Take Collective Action... Possibility of Consecutive Resignations

As the controversy over 'Sacheon (private recommendation)' centered on Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, spread, the Nomination Management Committee belatedly stepped in to contain the situation. However, it has been confirmed that some non-Lee faction figures who were mentioned as cut-off candidates actually received notifications of 'nomination exclusion,' suggesting that the controversy is likely to intensify.

On the 20th, Lim Hyuk-baek, chairman of the Nomination Committee, stated in a press release, "There have been reports that the list of the bottom 20% according to the evaluation results of the Democratic Party's elected officials evaluation committee was obtained, but the list delivered to the committee chairman is held only by the chairman, and the notification is also made directly by the chairman," adding, "Publishing articles speculating about the bottom 20% evaluation is an act that may interfere with election campaigns and constitute defamation."

Democratic Party of Korea leader Lee Jae-myung and lawmaker Park Hong-geun are talking at the National Assembly plenary session hall on the 20th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Chairman Lim began individually notifying those in the lower evaluation bracket from the morning of the previous day. Incumbents in the bottom 20% have 20% of their primary votes deducted, and those in the lowest 10% have 30% deducted. Because of this, those in the lowest 10% are effectively evaluated as 'excluded from nomination.' Reports emerged that this list was obtained the day before. Although specific names were not mentioned, it is reported that 31 people were included: 10 incumbents in the bottom 10%, 14 in the 10-20% range, and representatives In Jae-geun, Kim Hong-gul, Choi Jong-yoon who declared they would not run, as well as Lee Won-wook, Cho Eung-cheon, and Kim Jong-min who have already left the party.

Chairman Lim also denied the speculation that he admitted to 'closed-door nominations.' He repeatedly issued statements saying, "I agree that there are problems with the current situation, but it is completely untrue that I said I would prevent the recurrence of closed-door nomination controversies." Recently, there has been strong internal opposition as speculation arose that Lee Jae-myung discussed nomination issues in private meetings with close aides. When some lawmakers protested these issues to the Nomination Committee, news spread that Chairman Lim promised to prevent recurrence, effectively acknowledging the problem.

Belated Containment Efforts... Opposition Sentiment at 'Dangerous Level'

Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Park Yong-jin is seated in the National Assembly plenary session hall on the 20th. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Although the Democratic Party belatedly attempted to manage the situation by putting forward Chairman Lim Hyuk-baek, the centrifugal force seems likely to grow stronger. The day before, four-term veteran lawmaker Kim Young-joo declared withdrawal from the party in protest of being included in the lower evaluation group, and on the morning of the 20th, non-Lee faction lawmaker Park Yong-jin held a protest press conference opposing the 'bottom 10%' notification. There is also speculation about a chain of defections following the collapse of trust in the 'system nomination.'

Collective action centered on the pro-Moon Jae-in faction is also being observed. It is hard to ignore the impact of Chairman Lim, who was the party figure responsible for triggering stigmatization of the pro-Moon faction with the 'responsibility theory for the birth of the prosecution regime.' Lawmakers such as Hong Young-pyo, Jeon Hae-cheol, and Yoon Young-chan, who are either pro-Moon or served as aides during the Moon Jae-in administration, held a private luncheon meeting during the day. In the afternoon, they gathered at Hong's office to continue discussions on future actions. One lawmaker who participated in the meeting refrained from commenting on whether they received cut-off notifications but said, "If necessary, I will state my position at the lawmakers' meeting tomorrow (the 21st)."

Lawmaker Yoon Young-chan also held a press conference at the National Assembly communication hall in the afternoon, revealing that he received a 'bottom 10%' notification and protesting it. He said, "The nomination massacre of the non-Lee faction and targeted nomination to eliminate specific individuals do not only negatively affect the targeted parties," adding, "If this continues, the Democratic Party may face a historic defeat in this general election for which it cannot avoid responsibility." After the conference, Yoon told reporters, "The nomination evaluation criteria are not being disclosed accurately," criticizing it as "factional nominations that only save and protect certain faction members."

Choi Byung-chun: "Lee's Bulletproof Nomination... General Election Victory Out of Reach"

Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung is attending the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the 19th. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Opposition sentiment outside the party is also intensifying. Choi Byung-chun, director of the New Growth Research Institute and former deputy director of the Democratic Research Institute, the Democratic Party's think tank, criticized on Facebook, saying, "If I were to sum up the characteristics of the Democratic Party's nominations in one phrase, it would be 'non-Lee faction massacre - true Lee faction windfall,'" adding, "The atmosphere is that victory in the general election is out of reach." He enumerated the candidacies of close aides during Lee Jae-myung's tenure as mayor of Seongnam and governor of Gyeonggi Province, saying, "Lee created a 'bulletproof National Assembly' and is now focused on increasing the number of his bodyguards, conducting 'bulletproof nominations' regardless of whether the Democratic Party suffers a crushing defeat in the general election."

The ruling party also launched an offensive. Yoon Jae-ok, floor leader of the People Power Party, criticized at a floor strategy meeting held at the National Assembly in the morning, mentioning 'non-Lee faction exclusion opinion polls,' saying, "It is unsettling no matter how you explain that a staggering 90% of the lowest-ranking Democratic Party incumbents are from the party's small non-Lee faction." He also pointedly said, "Isn't the only criterion for the Democratic Party's nominations 'pro-Lee windfall' and 'non-Lee massacre'?"

However, a key Democratic Party official responded, "There is nothing wrong with the party leader discussing nomination matters," and retorted, "Isn't it natural to assess the situation and calculate the pros and cons depending on the candidates?" He added, "Attacking this as a 'Sacheon' frame is a different issue altogether."

Meanwhile, the Nomination Committee entered the fourth round of nomination screening in the afternoon. A committee official said, "We are trying to speed up the announcement, including in constituencies with many controversies," adding, "The announcement may be made as early as the morning of the 21st." Regarding the disclosure of the 'cut-off list,' the official drew a line, saying, "It is under the jurisdiction of the committee chairman."

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