Meeting with the Largest Party Gathering Today, Lee Jae-myung's 'Communication' Gamble: Will It Work?

Lee Jae-myung Initiates Successive Communication Efforts
Encourages Unified Voice Among Pro-Myeong Faction
Orderly Resignation Theory Emerges, Raising Possibility of Observation

As pressure mounts within the Democratic Party from some factions demanding the resignation of leader Lee Jae-myung and a reshuffle of party positions, the party leadership has embarked on a communication campaign. With ongoing communication efforts, theories such as a ‘orderly resignation’ suggesting that Lee might voluntarily step down by the end of the year have emerged, indicating that the controversy surrounding Lee’s position is likely to unfold as a prolonged battle rather than being resolved quickly.

On the afternoon of the 15th, Lee will hold a meeting with lawmakers belonging to ‘The Better Future,’ the largest group within the party, engaging in dialogue. This is interpreted as part of his recent efforts to communicate with party lawmakers. Earlier, Kang Hoon-sik, a Democratic Party lawmaker and leader of The Better Future, explained regarding this meeting, "It is a request to resolve distrust within the party and to address the task of innovation." It is expected that there will be no controversy over Lee’s position at this meeting.

The day before, Lee also held a YouTube live broadcast at the party headquarters, showing awareness of the internal party turmoil. At this event, Lee said, "A united minority cannot be defeated by an overwhelming majority that is not united," and added, "We must minimize hatred toward comrades within our ranks." He then urged his supporters to refrain from actions such as filing petitions within the party, saying, "If you single out those who think differently from me, file petitions to shame and attack them, it harms unity and strengthens hostility."

The pro-Lee faction, including the leadership, has encouraged ‘unity’ within the party. At the Supreme Council meeting that day, Supreme Council member Jung Cheong-rae emphasized, "Lee is the leader and the flag of the Democratic Party," and stressed, "If we unite and come together, there is nothing impossible about winning the general election and the presidential election."

Hong Ik-pyo, a Democratic Party lawmaker mentioned as a candidate for the next floor leader, said on KBS Radio’s ‘Choi Kyung-young’s Strong Current Affairs’ that "Following the arrest consent motion, and due to unfortunate incidents involving the chief of staff during Lee’s time as governor of Gyeonggi Province, it is true that the party situation was negatively affected," but added, "As the situation became difficult, efforts to exercise more restraint and avoid divisive remarks within the party have been spreading because further division or deepening conflicts could lead to a greater crisis for the entire Democratic Party."

Lawmaker Hong also left open the possibility of a calm response as Lee’s related trials move to the judiciary. He said, "The time of the prosecution has passed, and now it is the time for a more balanced judiciary," and added, "If we focus on raising issues such as livelihood reform tasks in the National Assembly and preparing for next year’s general election, I believe we can compete sufficiently with the public."

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is speaking at the launch ceremony of the Countermeasure Committee against Humiliating Diplomacy toward Japan held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul on the 13th. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

Concerns about a purge of non-Lee factions in candidate nominations, once considered a hidden threat, have also diminished. On the same day, Lee Gae-ho, head of the Democratic Party’s General Election Nomination System Task Force, said on CBS Radio’s ‘Kim Hyun-jung’s News Show’ that regarding the introduction of ‘party member opinion polls’ as a quantitative evaluation item for party audits of incumbent district lawmakers and regional chairpersons discussed by the Innovation Committee, "Among the requests from the Innovation Committee to the task force, the participation of party members in evaluating lawmakers is not included," and added, "There is absolutely no intention to discuss this." This means that a system to oust incumbent lawmakers based on public opinion is not currently being considered institutionally.

However, the controversy over Lee’s position is expected to continue as a long-term issue. Within the Democratic Party, a theory of ‘orderly resignation’ is being raised, suggesting that Lee will step down voluntarily around the end of this year, when the number of trials related to him increases, followed by the formation of a provisional party committee. Regarding this, Lee Gae-ho said, "It is quite reasonable and close to the truth," and added, "I have heard that Lee also believes that for next year’s general election victory, we must be able to choose whatever is necessary. He will judge and decide by considering what is advantageous."

The day before, ‘The Path of the Democratic Party,’ a non-Lee faction group within the party, resumed official discussions after half a month and discussed party issues but dismissed the topic of the leader’s resignation as a ‘sensitive subject,’ saying, "We have not discussed it." A second-term Democratic Party lawmaker told this outlet in a phone interview, "The immediate task will be how much we can shed the image of a ‘bulletproof party’," and added, "Regarding personnel, Lee has made all the Supreme Council members running mates and formed a pro-Lee group, but now we need to watch whether the floor leader position will also be taken by the pro-Lee faction."

Former People Power Party emergency committee chairman Kim Jong-in predicted that Lee would eventually make a decision. On CBS Radio’s ‘Kim Hyun-jung’s News Show,’ Kim said, "The Democratic Party is currently squabbling over the non-Lee and pro-Lee factions, but ultimately, I think the person who must make the final decision about the party’s direction is Lee," and added, "What is most effective for the party and for next year’s general election must be judged based on that standard."