Return of Park Ji-won to the Democratic Party after over 6 years
Reinstatement approved under Lee Jae-myung's leadership
Jung Cheong-rae calls him a "potential bomb" in public criticism... "Reinstatement should not be blocked due to likes or dislikes"
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jun-yi] Former National Intelligence Service Director Park Ji-won rejoined the Democratic Party of Korea after 6 years and 11 months. Opinions within the party were sharply divided over his reinstatement, but it is reported that Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung strongly pushed for it. However, opposition remains within some party circles, with public criticism referring to him as a "potential bomb (Assemblyman Jeong Cheong-rae)."
According to the Democratic Party of Korea on the 20th, the party's Supreme Council approved Park's reinstatement the day before. Spokesperson Park Sung-jun stated, "The Democratic Party has accepted those who had left the party as part of a grand unification effort, and the party leader decided to move forward together with former Director Park as a united front, which the Supreme Council accepted." It is known that the Supreme Council discussed Park's reinstatement more than five times.
Analysis suggests that Lee Jae-myung pushed for Park's reinstatement because he needed a "seasoned ally" to protect himself from judicial risks. Jang Sung-chul, director of the Public Opinion Center, said on CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show' that "For Leader Lee, Park's brilliant rhetoric and ability to frame issues seem to align with his interest in seeking more protection." It is also noted that Park's status as a prominent politician from Honam played a role. Former Justice Party Policy Committee Chair Park Won-seok explained on the same program, "There is currently no one within the Democratic Party who understands Honam public sentiment well, can gather Honam support, and serve as a focal point. For the Democratic Party, this clearly strengthens their forces."
However, reactions within the party are mixed. Supreme Council member Jeong Cheong-rae was the first to openly oppose Park's reinstatement. At the Supreme Council meeting held the day before, Jeong called him a "potential bomb," saying, "People do not change easily." After leaving the Democratic Party in 2015, Park clashed with former President Moon Jae-in and came into conflict with the pro-Moon faction. He also faced criticism for "betraying the party" after co-founding the People’s Party with Assemblyman Ahn Cheol-soo of the People Power Party. Related to this, former Assemblywoman Son Hye-won directly criticized on Facebook on the 17th, stating that "he must apologize sincerely and wait for forgiveness until told to stop." A Democratic Party leadership official also expressed concern, agreeing with Jeong's opinion, saying, "It is true that he has made controversial remarks within the party, and we cannot predict what harm he might cause to the party."
On the other hand, there are opinions that Park's reinstatement should not be blocked. Democratic Party Assemblyman Lee Sang-min said, "Blocking reinstatement based on personal likes or dislikes is unacceptable," adding, "Since the Democratic Party is an open mass party, it is right to keep the door open."
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