"Firm Action Against Defamation"
Internal Attacks Receive Repeated 'Warnings'
Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, issued a warning message to his hardline supporters, the so-called 'Gaeddal.' As the offensive against the non-Myeong faction continued despite requests to "stop internal attacks," he raised the warning level by stating, "We will take firm action against acts of defamation."
It appears that he judged it necessary to appease the dissatisfaction of the non-Myeong faction to maintain the system amid the prolonged judicial risk phase. This is seen as an effort to distance himself from the Gaeddal who attack the non-Myeong faction.
Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is attending the "4th Nationwide Rally Condemning Forced Mobilization Solutions and the Korea-Japan Summit" held near Seoul City Hall on the afternoon of the 25th. [Image source=Yonhap News]
In a post on Facebook on the 25th, Lee said, "I heard there was a rally in front of our party member Lee Won-wook's district office yesterday. There is also a one-person picket protest continuing at the entrance of the apartment complex where he lives," adding, "I doubt whether they are really our supporters or Democratic Party members."
Lee Won-wook is considered a representative figure of the non-Myeong faction who has publicly criticized Lee Jae-myung. On the same day, Lee Won-wook posted photos of the rally held by Lee Jae-myung's supporters who criticized him on Facebook, writing, "Even anger feels like a waste."
In response, Lee Jae-myung warned, "If you use abusive language, insults, and aggressive behavior just because of different opinions, it will only build hostility," adding, "We have already declared a strong response to internet posts that defame or damage the honor of Democratic Party members by stating false facts. Similarly, we will thoroughly investigate and take firm action at the party level against acts that damage the honor of affiliated lawmakers with manipulated images."
Since the beginning of this month, Lee has repeatedly requested the Gaeddal to refrain from internal attacks. On the 14th, he also held a communication event directly meeting with party members. During the nearly two-hour event, Lee focused on delivering the message that "internal division must be minimized." He has since posted several lengthy messages with related content on Facebook.
Lee publicly requested his supporters to refrain from internal attacks starting from the 27th of last month, after a large-scale defection vote was confirmed in the vote on his arrest motion. Although the arrest motion was ultimately rejected, the fact that many votes in favor came from within dealt a significant blow to Lee's leadership.
Following this, among Lee's hardline supporters, there was a movement to identify who voted against the rejection of the arrest motion, and conflicts between the pro-Myeong and non-Myeong factions intensified. Dissatisfaction and opposition voices from the non-Myeong faction toward Lee grew louder.
In this situation, Lee's distancing from the Gaeddal is analyzed as a recognition of the need to embrace the dissatisfaction of the non-Myeong faction and strengthen internal unity. As Lee has been indicted over the Daejang-dong scandal and others, the ruling party has launched an offensive mentioning his "resignation from the leadership." If internal dissatisfaction also erupts on top of this, Lee would inevitably feel increased pressure to maintain his position.
First, the Democratic Party held a party affairs committee meeting on the 22nd and concluded to maintain Lee's leadership position. Article 80 of the Democratic Party's constitution stipulates that "if a party official is indicted on charges related to corruption such as bribery or illegal political funds, the Secretary-General may suspend their duties." However, there is an exception clause stating, "If it is recognized that there are unfair reasons such as political oppression, a different decision can be made through a party affairs committee resolution," and Lee was considered to fall under this exception.
Although Lee has overcome the immediate crisis, it is uncertain whether he can completely resolve the party's internal strife. The non-Myeong faction's opposition remains strong, with party affairs committee member Lee Hae-cheol abstaining from the decision to maintain Lee's party position. However, as Lee is expected to carry out a party position reshuffle within this week, the atmosphere of an "immediate resignation theory" is subsiding.
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