Is This the Party That Suffered a Crushing Defeat in the Election?... The Democratic Party's Internal Strife Deepens

Pro-Moon vs Anti-Moon Leadership Struggle
Initially Evolved Amid Internal Conflict Perspectives

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeon Jin-young] Internal strife within the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) is deepening over the party's reform approach following the by-election defeat. On the 12th, first-term and re-elected lawmakers argued for the exclusion of pro-Moon Jae-in (Chinmun) factions, while other groups criticized this stance. This appears to mark the beginning of a fierce competition for party leadership ahead of next year's presidential election.

Shin Hyun-young and Ko Young-in, first-term lawmakers of the Democratic Party of Korea, are attending a meeting of first-term lawmakers held at the Federation of Korean Industries Building in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 12th, talking before the start of the briefing session. Photo by the National Assembly Press Photographers Group

First-term lawmakers, who have been labeled the ‘First-term Five Evils’ by their support base due to their calls for excluding pro-Moon factions and criticism of Cho Kuk, held their second meeting in Yeouido on the morning of the 12th to discuss party reform measures. It is reported that, in addition to the original five members, other first-term lawmakers also attended. Representative Ko Young-in, who hosted the meeting, stated in his opening remarks, "The 2030 generation and moderate supporters have largely left the party. If we do not reassess public sentiment, we will face a crisis in next year’s presidential and local elections." On the same day, 47 re-elected lawmakers held an emergency meeting to lend their support. Both first-term and re-elected lawmakers are emphasizing caution against the party’s internal restructuring centered around the pro-Moon faction.

As some began to view these developments as ‘internal conflict,’ those targeted by criticism quickly sought to defuse tensions. Representative Hong Young-pyo, classified as part of the pro-Moon faction, said in an interview with MBC Radio’s ‘Kim Jong-bae’s Focus’ on the morning of the 12th, "There are almost no people within the party who divide into pro-Moon and anti-Moon factions," and shifted blame to the media by stating, "The media is creating a divide between pro-Moon and anti-Moon." Senior lawmaker Lee Sang-min from the non-Moon camp also appeared on YTN Radio’s ‘Hwang Bo-seon’s Start New Morning’ the same day, responding, "Everyone agrees that we should not create divisions. We should refrain even from talking about such things," expressing concern that the internal strife could escalate.

Many view the current internal strife within the Democratic Party as part of the ruling party’s power restructuring process ahead of the presidential election. Park Sang-byeong, a visiting professor at Inha University Graduate School of Policy, explained in a phone interview on the 12th, "This is an issue tied to the fate of party leadership ahead of next year’s presidential election," adding, "The competition between hardline factions and non-mainstream groups has begun." The Democratic Party will hold its party convention on the 2nd of next month to finalize the next leadership, including the party president who will lead the party through the presidential election.