Democratic Party Floor Leader 'Myeong-Nak Showdown'

'Lee Jae-myung faction' Park Hong-geun vs 'Lee Nak-yeon faction' Park Kwang-on: The Two-Strong Structure

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Ju-yeon] It is anticipated that the upcoming Democratic Party of Korea’s next floor leader election, held on the afternoon of the 24th, will extend to a second round. This is because the five candidates?Park Hong-geun, Park Kwang-on, Ahn Kyu-baek, Lee Won-wook, and Kim Kyung-hyup?are evenly distributed across different factions, and the voting method, borrowed from the papal election system called the ‘conclave,’ requires all members to anonymously write down their supporters, making it unlikely that any candidate will secure more than two-thirds of the total votes in the first round.

In particular, since the five candidates each represent different factions, the possibility of a single candidate winning by a landslide is slim. The three-way rivalry that emerged during the last presidential primary between the ‘Lee Jae-myung faction’ and the ‘Lee Nak-yeon faction’ is expected to be replayed in this floor leader election. It is explained that the election will likely proceed to a second round within the ‘two-strong’ competition between Park Hong-geun, who served as chief secretary of Lee Jae-myung’s campaign, and Park Kwang-on, who was the general headquarters chief of Lee Nak-yeon’s campaign. However, since both sides have sufficiently consolidated their support during the primary, it is also analyzed that the casting vote lies with the Jeong Se-gyun faction members. Ahn Kyu-baek and Lee Won-wook, members of the Jeong Se-gyun faction, were initially expected to unify their candidacies, but failing to reach an agreement has increased the likelihood that the Jeong Se-gyun faction’s votes will be split. Kim Kyung-hyup, like floor leader Yoon Ho-jung, is classified as pro-Lee Hae-chan and pro-Moon Jae-in faction, but is considered to have a weaker presence compared to the dominant ‘Lee Jae-myung?Lee Nak-yeon’ factions within the party.

A Democratic Party official said, "The factions of each member have been somewhat confirmed through the primary, and ultimately, it should be seen as a ‘Myung-Nak showdown’." He added, "It is inevitable that the election will go to a second round because it is difficult to prematurely identify the preferred candidates of first-term lawmakers."

The main tasks for the newly elected floor leader include completing various reform agendas related to prosecution, media, and politics, as well as achieving party unity.

On the day, Yoon Geon-young, a key pro-Moon figure, appeared on a radio show and named "unity and innovation" as the values the new floor leader should emphasize. Yoon stressed, "We must overcome the mutual hatred that arose during the last presidential election process and be reborn as one. We need to take the lead in pushing forward the tasks that emerged from reflecting on and learning from the presidential election defeat."