Trying to Win Party Members' Hearts... Jeong Bong-ju Throws 'Reform Card'
Speculations Abound: Kim Min-seok, Supreme Council Member, Virtual Person, etc.
Lee Jae-myung's Close Aide "Said They Would Protect Lee but Directly Targeted Him"
Jeong Bong-ju, a candidate for the Supreme Council member of the Democratic Party of Korea, held a press conference at the National Assembly on the 12th and stated, "I will cut out those who engage in politics by riding on Lee Jae-myung's name and play the role of power brokers." He strongly criticized, saying, "We must cut out the internal cancer, the 'Myeongpali (Lee Jae-myung peddlers).” He has been on a downward trend in approval ratings since the end of last month after it was reported that he spoke ill of Lee Jae-myung, the representative candidate, in private. As protests from party members continued, he expressed his support for Lee while also declaring his ambition to reform the party.
The nationwide party member convention is just a week away on the 18th. He refrained from specifying who the 'Myeongpali' refers to. On the day, he said, "I will speak after the nationwide party member convention," adding, "It is not yet the time to take full action."
Former lawmaker Jeong Bong-ju touches his lips before expressing his position on February 11, 2020, at the National Assembly regarding the 'disqualification' ruling for the general election. At this event, former lawmaker Jeong expressed his grievances but also stated that he would accept the party's decision. /Photo by Yoon Dong-ju doso7@
In response, political circles are analyzing whether his remarks were aimed at Kim Min-seok, who overtook Jeong to claim first place. Since announcing his candidacy for the Supreme Council member election, Kim has claimed to be the 'chief of Lee Jae-myung's camp,' emphasizing his close relationship with the representative candidate. When Kim placed third in the first primary on the 20th of last month, Lee himself asked, "Why are Kim Min-seok's votes so low?" After the Jeonbuk primary on the 3rd, Kim surpassed Jeong in cumulative vote share to take first place.
However, Jeong said on the day, "I don't think so among the Supreme Council candidates." When asked by reporters if he meant there was a force controlling behind the scenes of the Supreme Council candidates, he gave an ambiguous response, saying, "I don't know about behind-the-scenes manipulation, but many party members know the reality clearly." He added, "If we leave the Myeongpali group unchecked like now, unification, impeachment, and reclaiming power will all be difficult."
Since Jeong mentioned that the 'Myeongpali' are people close to the representative candidate, it can be inferred that he had in mind the current Supreme Council members or candidates Jeong Seong-ho and Kim Young-jin, who are called the 'Pro-Lee Red Team.' A Democratic Party lawmaker also said, "Didn't Jeong himself also peddle (Lee Jae-myung's name)?" adding, "No one refrained from mentioning the former representative during the election process."
Meanwhile, there is also an analysis that Jeong's criticism targets 'Lee Jae-myung himself.' Kim Ji-ho, deputy spokesperson of the Democratic Party and considered a close aide to the representative candidate, said in a phone interview, "It is common to cut words before cutting the general," and claimed, "'Myeongpali' is a fictitious enemy, and in reality, it targets the representative candidate." He continued, "Although they say they want to protect the representative candidate, the actual target should be seen as Lee Jae-myung," criticizing, "The election campaign method does not reflect the spirit of putting the party before personal interests."
Lee Jae-myung, former leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is talking with a fellow lawmaker during the plenary session held at the National Assembly on the 30th of last month. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@
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