Lee to Announce Re-election Bid as Early as the 9th
Expected to Highlight Yoon Seok-yeol Government's Failures
Pro-Myung Faction Welcomes Counterbalance to Kim's Party Domination
Lee Jae-myung, former leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is expected to officially announce his bid for re-election as party leader as early as the 9th. If former lawmaker Kim Doo-kwan, a pro-Roh (pro-Roh Moo-hyun) figure, confirms his candidacy for the party convention, there is also speculation that he could emerge as a counterforce to the 'Lee Jae-myung one-pole system.'
According to political circles on the 8th, Lee is expected to declare his candidacy during the preliminary candidate registration period for the August 18 party convention, which runs from the 9th to the 10th. It is known that Lee is preparing a campaign message outlining the background for his re-election bid and his vision for a 'second-term system.' The declaration is expected to focus on highlighting the failures of the Yoon Seok-youl administration in order to block criticism from inside and outside the political sphere that his re-election is a 'shielded re-election.'
The competition for elected supreme council members is also fierce. Five elected supreme council members will be chosen at the party convention. As of now, 12 individuals have either declared their candidacy or are expected to do so. Within the National Assembly, lawmakers Kang Sun-woo, Kim Min-seok, Han Jun-ho, Kim Byung-joo, and Lee Sung-yoon have thrown their hats in the ring. Outside the Assembly, former lawmaker Jeong Bong-ju, deputy spokesperson Kim Ji-ho, Park Wan-hee, co-representative of the Democratic Party of Korea National Innovation Council and Cheongju city council member, and Choi Dae-ho, mayor of Anyang, have declared their candidacies. Lawmakers Lee Eon-ju, Min Hyung-bae, and Jeon Hyun-hee are also expected to officially announce their bids for the supreme council soon.
Former leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, Lee Jae-myung, is conversing with Park Chan-dae, floor leader and acting party leader, and lawmaker Jo Jeong-sik during the plenary session held at the National Assembly on the 27th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@
A key point to watch in the party convention race is whether former lawmaker Kim Doo-kwan will run for party leader. Kim has publicly expressed concerns about the 'Lee Jae-myung one-pole system.' Within the party, there is growing consensus that he has settled on running for party leader.
The pro-Lee faction views Kim's candidacy positively, calculating that it could partially offset the burden of 'Lee Jae-myung’s personal fiefdom.' In a situation where 'Eodaemyeong (Anyway, the party leader is Lee Jae-myung)' is overwhelming, the candidacy is seen more as a 'promised duel' rather than a contest that will affect the outcome. Pro-Lee lawmaker Yoon Jong-gun said in a phone interview, "It is positive for a political party to have competition from various perspectives rather than just one voice. The more competitors, the better."
Some worry that Kim might ultimately play a mere supporting role. Lawmaker Park Ji-won said, "I told former lawmaker Kim Doo-kwan that it would be better if he did not run." Considering the larger trend of regime change, it is currently 'Lee Jae-myung’s time.' Pro-Roh lawmaker Yoon Geon-young dismissed interest in Kim’s candidacy, saying, "I have no interest."
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