Park Yong-jin Requests Reconsideration After Low Evaluation
Kim Young-joo's Departure Sparks Continued Internal Opposition
Party Members Say "Growing Backlash Against Lee Jae-myung's Nomination"
Park Yong-jin, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) known as a dissident and a faction leader, has announced plans to request a reconsideration in response to being notified that he was included in the bottom 10% of the parliamentary activity evaluation, which is effectively a 'cut-off.' Following Kim Young-joo, the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, who declared his resignation from the party after labeling those in the bottom 20% as being 'branded as anti-Myung,' the 'Sacheon controversy' appears to be spreading.
On the morning of the 20th, Park Yong-jin held an emergency press conference at the National Assembly Communication Office, stating, "Yesterday (the 19th), I was notified that I was included in the bottom 10% in the Democratic Party's parliamentary activity evaluation," and added, "The reason I am publicly sharing this humiliation with the people is to clearly reveal the serious crisis the Democratic Party is currently facing and to urge many party loyalists to be vigilant."
Park Yong-jin, the Democratic Party of Korea's presidential candidate, holds a press conference on preventing factionalism at the National Assembly Communication Office on the 8th. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@
Incumbents in the bottom 20% have 20% of their primary votes deducted, and those in the lowest 10% have 30% deducted. Because of this, those in the bottom 10% are effectively considered 'excluded from nomination.' Park said, "To save the Democratic Party, which is in crisis of party democracy and factionalization, I will endure today's 'Gwahaji-yok' (袴下之辱, the humiliation of crawling under the hem of one's pants) with the spirit of a reform movement within the party," and announced that he would apply for reconsideration within the party procedures today.
Right after the press conference, when asked by reporters if many lawmakers were dissatisfied with the notification of the bottom evaluation, Park sharply responded, "Of course, I think it is not a good thing." When asked if there was any explanation for the evaluation basis, he said, "There was no explanation," and added, "There was no basis at all." When asked if his dissident activities influenced the evaluation, he was reserved but emphasized, "The reason Park Yong-jin will endure this humiliating evaluation is because he trusts the people."
Kim Young-joo, who served four terms in the Democratic Party, declared his resignation from the party the day before. In a press conference, Kim explained his reason for leaving, saying, "For the past four years, I have been recognized for diligent parliamentary activities, being selected as an outstanding lawmaker by civic groups and the media every year without exception," but "the Democratic Party notified me that I was in the bottom 20% of parliamentary activity, and as a lawmaker representing Yeongdeungpo residents, I felt humiliated."
Within the party, it is expected that opposition and further defections will spread among lawmakers in the bottom 20%. An unknown polling agency is conducting surveys within the party, increasing backlash against what is seen as 'purging.' If opposition from senior members continues, nomination conflicts could become visible through collective actions. Outside the Democratic Party, new centers of gravity already exist, such as Lee Nak-yeon's New Future and Lee Jun-seok's Reform New Party.
Choi Byung-chun, director of the New Growth Research Institute, posted on social media (SNS), "To sum up the characteristics of the Democratic Party's nominations in one phrase: sudden death of dissidents, and unexpected fortune for loyalists," adding, "The atmosphere is that winning the general election is out of reach." Referring to Kim Young-joo, who resigned from the Democratic Party the day before, Choi said, "There is an atmosphere that more senior incumbents will defect from the Democratic Party." After listing the candidacies of Lee Nak-yeon's close aides from Seongnam City and Gyeonggi Province (the loyalists), he criticized, "Lee Nak-yeon created a bulletproof National Assembly, and regardless of whether the Democratic Party collapses in the general election, he is focusing on increasing the number of his bodyguards and conducting bulletproof nominations."
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