Democratic Party Gathers in Gwangju on May 18... All-Out Effort to Rally Support in Honam Stronghold

Party Leadership Pays Tribute at May 18 Cemetery
Jeong: "Insurrectionist Faction Will Be Sternly Judged on June 3"
Central Election Committee Meeting and May 18 Commemoration Ceremony Held in Gwangju

The leadership of the Democratic Party of Korea gathered in full force in Gwangju on May 18, the 46th anniversary of the May 18 Democratic Movement, making a concerted effort to rally support in the Honam region. This move is seen as an attempt to solidify its traditional support base in Honam, amid ongoing fallout from recent candidate nomination disputes.

Jeong Cheong-rae, the Chairperson of the Democratic Party of Korea's Overall Standing Election Committee, visited the National May 18 Democratic Cemetery in Buk-gu, Gwangju on the 18th and paid tribute to the tomb of activist Yoon Sang-won. Photo by Yonhap News

The party leadership, including Chairperson Jeong Cheong-rae, who attended the eve festival of May 18 the previous day, began the morning by paying tribute at the National May 18 Democratic Cemetery, followed by presiding over a meeting of the Central Election Committee on-site in Gwangju, and then attending the May 18 memorial ceremony, continuing a packed schedule.

Immediately after paying respects at the cemetery, Chairperson Jeong told reporters, "The 'Yoon Again' group, which once defended insurrection, is now dreaming of a comeback," and added, "I trust that on June 3, the people will deliver a stern judgment in the name of the Constitution and democracy."

Also present at the ceremony were Floor Leader Han, Standing Co-Chairs Lee Si-jong, An Sun-ha, Keum Hee-jung, Lee Bon-a, and Yoo Chung-won, as well as Co-Chairs Lee Un-ju, Hwang Myung-seon, Kang Deuk-gu, Lee Sung-yoon, Moon Jeong-bok, and Park Kyu-hwan.

The Democratic Party leadership also focused on regional outreach the previous day by attending the campaign office opening for Park Ji-won, the candidate for Gunsan, Gimje, and Buan in the by-election, as well as the launch ceremony of the Jeonbuk Provincial Party Election Committee.

Particular attention is being paid to supporting Democratic Party candidate Lee Won-taek for Jeonbuk governor, especially as Kim Kwan-young, the former Jeonbuk governor who was expelled from the party over the "proxy driver payment controversy" and is now running as an independent, is gaining momentum.

The Democratic Party's increased focus on the Honam region comes against a backdrop of internal conflict and backlash arising from the recent nomination process. In Jeonbuk, protest rallies have continued from the group aiming to "prevent Jeong Cheong-rae's factionalization" of the party, while in Jeonnam, issues have been raised over the non-disclosure of primary vote percentages, ARS voting errors, allegations of proxy voting, and the leaking of candidate lists. There has also been sustained backlash in Gwangsan-eul, Gwangju, over the party's strategic nomination for the parliamentary by-election. Furthermore, with evidence of plots such as "Recruiting an assassination squad against Jeong Cheong-rae" circulating on social media, the police have initiated personal protection measures.

As concerns grow over the possibility of unexpected outcomes in the Honam region—a traditional stronghold—calls for unity within the party have intensified. Chairperson Jeong emphasized the importance of a "one team" approach, stating the previous day, "The party, government, and Blue House must act as one team to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of policy implementation," and stressed, "Democratic Party candidates, from the Jeonbuk governor to basic local government heads and local assembly members, must all win together."

Chairperson Jeong further highlighted the "one team" principle by mentioning Jo Jung-sik, a pro-Lee Myung-bak faction lawmaker who was recently selected as the next National Assembly Speaker. He relayed, "Candidate Jo Jung-sik has expressed his intention to actively serve as the standing co-chair for Lee Won-taek’s campaign until he assumes the position of National Assembly Speaker."

Rep. An Ho-young, who staged a 12-day hunger strike after losing in the primaries, said, "It is true that there are still voices of disappointment and criticism among the province's residents," but also added, "All candidates must unite their efforts to achieve a great leap forward for the Democratic Party," in an attempt to alleviate internal conflict.

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