[Politics, That Day...] 'Bluechip Jeong Se-gyun' with No Connection to the Presidential Election, Memories of Majority Votes

2008 Democratic Party Leadership Election, 57.6% Vote Share... Served as Leader of Both Ruling and Opposition Parties
'Political Specs' Were Unprecedented... Failed Presidential Bids in 2012 and 2022

[Asia Economy Reporter Ryu Jeong-min]

Editor's Note‘Politics, That Day...’ is a series planning corner that looks back on Korean politics through the ‘recollection of memories’ related to scenes, events, and figures that deserve attention.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Politician Jeong Se-gyun is a figure whose ‘political specs’ can compete with anyone. He is the politician who best fits the phrase “has done everything except the presidency.” It is doubtful whether a person who has served as Speaker of the National Assembly, Prime Minister, and leader of both ruling and opposition parties will appear again in Korean political history.

Politician Jeong Se-gyun served twice as chairman of the ruling Uri Party during the Roh Moo-hyun administration and was the leader of the main opposition Democratic Party during the Lee Myung-bak administration. At that time, his nickname was the “relief pitcher.” He was sought after when the party was in crisis or needed a turning point.

Even when the so-called pro-Roh (pro-Roh Moo-hyun) faction was considered the mainstream of the party, it was also evaluated that the largest faction within the party was actually the Jeong Se-gyun faction (so-called SK faction). Although the Jeong Se-gyun faction is sometimes classified as part of the broader pro-Roh group, it is argued that it is reasonable to classify it separately based on political lines and cohesion.

According to the prevailing view, the number of lawmakers in the Jeong Se-gyun faction or the Kim Geun-tae (GT) faction was greater than that of the narrow pro-Roh faction. The Jeong Se-gyun faction, which was the core of the party in the early to mid-2000s, still maintains its cohesion and was the main force behind the ‘Jeong Se-gyun presidential campaign’ until recently.

The reason politician Jeong Se-gyun served as party leader three times is his proven political skills. Being a former businessman, he is knowledgeable about the real economy and has cabinet experience, including serving as Minister of Industry and Resources. He is also evaluated to have leadership that embraces various factions within the party.

The peak of politician Jeong Se-gyun’s popularity in elections that reflect party members’ sentiments was the July 6, 2008, Democratic United Party convention. At that time, the Democratic Party, which was in crisis after the inauguration of the Lee Myung-bak government and the defeat in the April 2008 18th general election, was seeking a turnaround through a new leadership system.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Stability and change, politician Jeong Se-gyun experienced a landslide victory supported by party members’ expectations. Among the three candidates for party leader who ran in the July 6, 2008, convention, two later competed in the 2022 presidential election. The candidates in the July 6 convention were Jeong Se-gyun, Chu Mi-ae, and Jeong Dae-cheol, who came from a prestigious political family.

At that time, the party members’ sentiment leaned toward politician Jeong Se-gyun. He maintained the lead from start to finish. Although there was attention to a possible unification between Chu Mi-ae and Jeong Dae-cheol candidates, the momentum for Jeong Se-gyun was not easily shaken.

It is said that Democratic Party members were watching politician Jeong Se-gyun as the leader of the main opposition party to confront the Lee Myung-bak government.

The actual convention results were not much different from predictions. Jeong Se-gyun was elected with an overwhelming 57.6% of the vote. Chu Mi-ae received 26.5%, and Jeong Dae-cheol got 15.9%. At the convention, the party name was also changed from the Democratic United Party to the Democratic Party.

Thus, politician Jeong Se-gyun rose to the position of party leader (chairman) for the third time in his political career.

At that time, politician Jeong Se-gyun’s dream might have been to become the head of the Blue House. In fact, he ran in the 2012 presidential election but failed to overcome the wall of candidate Moon Jae-in. Among the four candidates in the presidential primary, he placed fourth.

Former Prime Minister Jeong Se-gyun of the Democratic Party of Korea is declaring his candidacy for the presidential election on the 17th at Nurikum Square in Sangam-dong, Seoul. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

Politician Jeong Se-gyun skipped the 2017 presidential election, added another credential as Prime Minister, and then challenged the 2022 presidential election. Although his party organization (including supporting lawmakers) was still considered solid, the early primary results were disappointing.

The memory of winning a majority in the 2008 Democratic Party leadership race was all in the past. The mid-term primary results in the 2022 presidential race, where he trailed behind politician Chu Mi-ae, whom he had comfortably defeated before, were shocking.

Eventually, politician Jeong Se-gyun withdrew from the presidential race and declared his return to the ranks as a loyal party member. “I will now return as an ordinary party member and serve the united Democratic Party and a new Republic of Korea with loyalty.”

Born in 1950, politician Jeong Se-gyun is 70 years old (72 in Korean age). Considering his age and the political situation, this might be his last presidential challenge.

He has been regarded as a ‘political blue chip’ for 20 years but has had an unusual lack of success in presidential elections. His failure in presidential races does not diminish the significance of his political record.

In the ever-changing landscape of Korean politics, the ‘political specs’ built by Jeong Se-gyun are expected to remain a record in political history that is not easily broken.