Lee Jae-myung Faces Nomination Controversy Head-On: "If Someone Comes in First, Someone Else Must Come in Last"

Emphasizing No Issues Using Expressions Like 'Hwankoltaltae'
Rejects Acceptance of 'Representative Responsibility' Claims

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, said on the 22nd regarding the ongoing issues raised inside and outside the party about the nomination process, "Someone has to come in first, and someone has to come in last," adding, "We are providing ample opportunities for primaries so that candidates with competitiveness that meets the public's expectations are selected, and we are expanding opportunities as much as possible to prevent unfair competitors from emerging." Lee described the internal party issues as a process of ‘환골탈태 (Hwangoltaltae, meaning a transformation so profound that the body and face become unrecognizable in a positive way),’ expressing his determination to confront the nomination controversy head-on.

Meeting with reporters at the National Assembly on the same day, Lee said, "We are selecting competitive candidates based on rational criteria according to the system. During the competition, complaints inevitably arise because one’s own thoughts and others’ evaluations do not always align, and that is natural." He added, "We have no choice but to go through this process. Ultimately, what matters is whether we nominate capable, honest, and respectful candidates who reflect the will of the people."

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is answering questions from reporters in front of the party leader's office at the National Assembly on the 22nd. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

He said, "The public desires change, but those who have been elected once want to protect themselves. I believe it is the responsibility of the party leadership and the nomination committee to harmonize these two aspects well," and added, "I hope you consider the series of controversies as some pain or discomfort arising from the process of 환골탈태." He continued, "Deciding quietly behind closed doors might minimize conflicts, but democracy would not be properly reflected." He also said, "If you look closely, the People Power Party excludes overwhelming first-place candidates in their primaries in a bizarre way, but the Democratic Party does not do that."

Regarding concerns raised by former Prime Ministers Kim Boo-kyum and Chung Sye-kyun about the nomination process, he said, "I think their advice comes from their affection for the party and their hope for the party’s success in the general election," adding, "Since the party can never handle everything perfectly, the nomination committee will fill in the gaps and nominate appropriate candidates according to the party constitution and rules, meeting the public’s expectations, so that neither the public nor party elders will worry."

In response to criticism within the party about responsibility for the closed-door nomination controversy, he rejected the idea of resignation, saying, "If we resign like that, the leader would change all year long." He added, "Strategic judgment, research, and decisions must be made in various fields." Regarding the public opinion polls that formed the basis of the closed-door nomination controversy, he said, "These are routine internal party survey tasks, so I hope people do not overreact. Necessary surveys are being conducted sufficiently."

On the demand from lawmakers who received evaluations in the bottom 20% to disclose evaluation details, he said, "The nomination committee will autonomously decide whether it is appropriate to disclose detailed scores," but added, "From the evaluators’ perspective, it is inevitable to assign scores and rank candidates." He continued, "There are also opinions from the judges, but some reportedly received zero points from their fellow lawmakers," expressing a negative stance by saying, "From the standpoint of those who conduct or manage the evaluations, this is a very difficult claim."