Growing Backlash Over Decision to Transfer Judiciary Committee Chair Amid Emphasis on Cooperation and Centrist Expansion
Song Young-gil, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, and Yoon Ho-jung, floor leader, are attending the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the 26th. Photo by Yoon Dong-ju doso7@
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Cheol-eung] The leadership of the Democratic Party of Korea, including party leader Song Young-gil, has once again come under scrutiny. This is due to Song’s so-called ‘rightward shift’ approach, prioritizing cooperation and centrist expansion. Recently, the decision to hand over the position of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee Chairperson, a key gatekeeper for bill passage, to the People Power Party after next year’s presidential election has sparked strong backlash from reformist factions within the party and the ‘Chinmun’ (pro-Moon Jae-in) support base.
On the 26th, former party leader and Democratic presidential candidate Lee Nak-yeon appeared on the radio and said, “Agreements between the ruling and opposition parties need to be respected,” but added, “If the party holding the Legislation and Judiciary Committee Chair changes after the presidential election, then all pending matters should be handled beforehand.” This was a subtle expression of regret over the leadership’s decision. Lee, who is closely trailing Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung, is in dire need of support from the Chinmun faction.
Among the presidential candidates opposing leader Song and the leadership, former Minister of Justice Chu Mi-ae is the most hardline. The night before, she posted on Facebook a message titled “The Democratic Party should withdraw the wrong deal and the National Assembly should establish a specialized agency like the government’s Legislative Office,” emphasizing, “The Legislation and Judiciary Committee should not become a bargaining chip for any party, and the National Assembly should prioritize the people over party interests.”
At the Democratic Party’s caucus meeting on the 23rd, a majority supported the reallocation of standing committees agreed upon by Democratic floor leader Yoon Ho-jung and People Power Party floor leader Kim Ki-hyun. However, among the four members who spoke during the pros and cons debate, three?including Park Joo-min, Jung Chung-rae, and Kim Yong-min?opposed the plan. Park, the ruling party’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee secretary, expressed concern on a radio show that “reform legislation passed in other committees could also be blocked.”
Since taking office, leader Song has pursued a course emphasizing the centrist vote. He decided to ease the comprehensive real estate tax, personally apologized over the ‘Cho Kuk incident,’ and even used the controversial term ‘Daekkaemun’ (a derogatory term for staunch Moon Jae-in supporters), which sparked debate. Recently, he also offered a positive evaluation of former President Park Chung-hee. When disputes arose over postponing the presidential primary, some within the party’s Chinmun faction criticized him for leaning toward Governor Lee Jae-myung’s camp.
Nevertheless, Song is determined not to waver in the face of these leadership challenges. In a recent TV debate with People Power Party leader Lee Jun-seok, when asked about related issues, he said, “If we exclude and attack each other over minor issues and openly engage in personal attacks against specific candidates within the party, it will be difficult to expand the party’s base,” adding, “The hardline Chinmun faction needs to change.” While he is not allowing the party to spiral into extreme division, there are concerns that leadership crises could arise anytime as the primary competition intensifies. On the Democratic Party’s member bulletin board, protest posts such as “What reform is there after giving up the Legislation and Judiciary Committee?” have been flooding in, and so-called ‘text bomb’ messages have been sent to floor leader Yoon and others.
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