Who Will Lead the Ruling Democratic Party Under the Lee Jaemyung Administration?... Jung Cheongrae and Park Chandae Emerge as Top Candidates (Comprehensive)

Attention is focusing on who will become the next leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, which has become the ruling party following the inauguration of the Lee Jaemyung administration.

Park Chandae, Acting Leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is speaking at the luncheon commemorating the inauguration of the 21st president held at Sarangjae, the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 4th. Photo by Kim Hyunmin

On June 5, the Democratic Party held a Supreme Council meeting and approved the formation of the National Convention Preparatory Committee. According to Chief Spokesperson Cho Seungrae, four-term lawmaker Lee Choonseok was appointed as the chair of the committee.

The term of the next party leader will be one year, as the leader will only serve out the remainder of President Lee Jaemyung's term as party leader. The next party leader will bear the heavy responsibility of closely cooperating with the presidential office and supporting the administration of state affairs.

Among the leading candidates are four-term lawmaker Jung Cheongrae and three-term Floor Leader Park Chandae.

Jung previously served as Senior Supreme Council member in the first leadership of Lee Jaemyung's tenure, and has demonstrated a strong presence as chair of the Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee, as well as the Legislation and Judiciary Committee.

In particular, as chair of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, he led initiatives such as the "Impeachment Hearing for Former President Yoon Sukyeol" and the "Hearings for Prosecutors Eom Heejun and Kang Baeksin." He also spearheaded the passage of the "Special Prosecutor Act on Insurrection" and the "Special Prosecutor Act on Kim Keonhee" through the committee, serving as the vanguard in the opposition's struggle against the ruling party.

Park, as a prominent pro-Lee Jaemyung figure, was effectively elected as floor leader last year through overwhelming support from the pro-Lee faction.

Since then, he has directed parliamentary strategy during major events such as the state of emergency and the impeachment of former President Yoon Sukyeol, coordinating closely with President Lee when he was party leader.

At this National Convention, a by-election for a Supreme Council member will also be held alongside the party leader election. This is because Supreme Council member Kim Minseok is expected to vacate his position after being nominated as Prime Minister. Chief Spokesperson Cho said, "Supreme Council member Kim will resign. If that happens, elections will be held for both the party leader and one Supreme Council member."