Lee Jae-myung Raises Impeachment, Cares for Party Members... Will 'Oegangnaeyu' Work?

Lee Strengthens Opposition Attack on Special Prosecutor Chae Sang-byeong
Immediate Re-promotion of Re-vote if Rejected
Strengthening Party Members' Authority... Lee's Re-election Momentum Gains

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is strengthening his position within the party while simultaneously escalating his offensive against the Yoon Suk-yeol administration and embracing party members. As the 22nd National Assembly convenes, Lee is expanding his influence, creating an atmosphere that supports the possibility of his re-election as party leader.

The Democratic Party is pushing for a united opposition front to re-vote on the special prosecutor law for Chae Sang-byeong, which President Yoon vetoed, at the plenary session on the 28th. Even if the special prosecutor law is rejected again, the Democratic Party plans to reintroduce it as the 'No. 1 bill' immediately after the opening of the 22nd National Assembly.

The tone of remarks directed at the government and ruling party is also intensifying. Notably, Lee publicly mentioned the possibility of impeaching President Yoon. At a joint press conference held by opposition parties and civil society in front of the National Assembly main building stairs the day before, protesting the request for reconsideration of the Marine Corps special prosecutor law, he warned, "Before the people's anger and the judgment of history, the Yoon Suk-yeol administration is like a sailboat before the waves." This was a warning that President Yoon, having already exercised his veto power ten times since taking office, could completely lose public support.

He also said, "The person who refuses a special prosecutor is the culprit," quoting President Yoon Suk-yeol's own words from the last presidential election, adding, "President Yoon has confessed to being the culprit himself." There is an interpretation that the use of strong language such as 'culprit' and 'confession' toward President Yoon signals the start of a serious campaign to build public support for impeachment.

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is speaking at the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the 20th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

The smooth cooperation among opposition parties against the ruling party also lends weight to Lee's remarks. In the heated debate on the special prosecutor for Chae Sang-byeong held the day before, parties such as the Justice Party, New Future Party, Party for National Innovation, Progressive Party, and Basic Income Party participated, sharing the same stance.

Within the party, efforts are underway to soothe hardline party members following the defeat of Chu Mi-ae in the National Assembly Speaker candidate primary. This is seen as a blessing in disguise that is solidifying Lee Jae-myung's one-man leadership system. The core idea is to strengthen the rights of party members to prevent incidents like Chu's defeat in the future, and expanding party member rights could also boost support for Lee's re-election.

Since Lee enjoys overwhelming support from party members, there is a positive interpretation regarding his re-election prospects. Some within the party have proposed reflecting party members' opinions up to 50% in the primaries for floor leader and National Assembly Speaker candidates. The Democratic Party plans to continue discussions on strengthening party member rights at the incoming lawmakers' workshop held that day.

On the other hand, concerns about Lee Jae-myung's one-man leadership system are also being raised both inside and outside the party. Kim Jin-pyo, the outgoing National Assembly Speaker, criticized the move to strengthen party member rights as "the harmful side effects of factional politics and fandom politics," saying it "undermines the public's trust in politics."

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