Reasons Why the Possibility of a Split Is Seen as Low Despite Lee Jae-myung's Voting Discord

Pro-Administration vs. Anti-Administration, Mass Defections Deepen Internal Strife
Ahn Min-seok "No Leader to Lead Approval Faction"
Kim Jae-won "Political Asset Is Too Large"

The internal conflict within the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) appears to be intensifying after a wave of 'defection votes' led to the approval of the arrest consent motion against Lee Jae-myung, the party leader. Some pro-Lee (pro-Lee Jae-myung) factions strongly criticized the anti-Lee (anti-Lee Jae-myung) faction, accusing them of systematically gathering votes to pass the motion, calling it 'chadosarin' (literally "killing someone with another person's knife").

On the 21st, the arrest consent motion against Lee was approved. The vote in the National Assembly plenary session resulted in 149 in favor, 136 against, 6 abstentions, and 4 invalid votes. Even assuming that all 110 members of the People Power Party, 6 from the Justice Party, 1 from the Transition Korea party, and pro-government independent lawmakers voted in favor, it is estimated that at least 29 members defected from the Democratic Party.

Kim Ki-hyun, leader of the People Power Party, and other leadership members are talking after the arrest motion against Lee Jae-myung was passed at the plenary session of the National Assembly on the 21st. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

The voting result has created a confusing atmosphere within the Democratic Party. Lee’s staunch supporters expressed anger over the approval and began circulating lists of lawmakers who did not respond to the arrest consent vote, attempting to identify 'watermelons' (a term used to describe those who appear green on the outside but are red inside, implying traitors).

After the approval of the arrest consent motion, a blame game broke out during a party meeting. Park Sung-joon, spokesperson for the Democratic Party, said on MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' on the 22nd, "There were strong voices of criticism asking how such a thing could happen, and discussions about responsibility led to raised voices. It was a tense and chaotic scene, showing the party was in crisis."

In this situation, the party leadership, including floor leader Park Kwang-on, announced their intention to resign, taking responsibility for the approval of the arrest consent motion. Floor spokesperson Lee So-young explained on the 21st, "The floor leader, as a member of the party leadership's supreme council, requested lawmakers to vote against the motion. Since the conclusion did not follow the persuasion efforts, he judged himself responsible and decided to resign."

The party's supreme council also moved to manage the situation. In a statement, the council said, "The approval vote on the arrest consent motion against Lee Jae-myung in the plenary session is an unacceptable clear violation of party discipline," and added, "The next floor leader will be elected promptly according to party rules."

Tense Atmosphere Over Unexpected Mass Defections... Is Party Split Becoming a Reality?

Park Kwang-on, the floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is visiting Lee Jae-myung, the party leader who is on a hunger strike at Green Hospital in Jungnang-gu, Seoul, on the 21st, and they are having a conversation. Photo by National Assembly Press Photographers Group

Democratic Party lawmaker Ahn Min-seok, classified as pro-Lee, pointed to an organized movement by the anti-Lee faction regarding the unexpected 'approval votes.' On the 22nd, he said on CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show,' "Key leaders of that faction individually met with lawmakers to monitor votes and conduct so-called vote counting." He strongly criticized this as 'chadosarin,' accusing them of attempting to remove Lee by borrowing the power of the People Power Party.

However, he ruled out the possibility of a party split, noting the absence of a leader to guide the pro-approval faction and the operation of a system-based nomination process. Ahn said, "There is no courageous leader to lead the pro-approval faction. Since it is the anti-Lee faction, and the system prevents primaries, I believe the possibility of a split is zero."

The ruling camp also viewed the possibility of a split as low. Kim Jae-won, a supreme council member of the People Power Party, said on KBS Radio's 'Choi Kyung-young's Strong Current Affairs' on the same day, "The Democratic Party is a huge political asset. They will fight internally to claim that asset, but the so-called pro-Lee factions will have nothing to stand on once Lee goes to prison. They will collapse as is."