Few Differences in Experience, Pledges, and Political Structure
Similar Campaigns via SNS Communication
Outcome Uncertain Until Ballots Are Opened
On June 12, the Democratic Party of Korea is launching an election to select its first floor leader, who will lead the party's lawmakers and communicate with the government and ruling party during the early days of the Lee Jaemyung administration. For the first time, a rule reflecting 20% of the vote from dues-paying party members is being implemented, and it is expected that the opinions of party members will have a decisive impact on the selection of the new floor leader. As a result, both inside and outside the party, there is a widespread sense of uncertainty about whether Kim Byunggi or Seo Younggyo will win until the ballot boxes are opened.
The Democratic Party will elect its new floor leader through two days of online voting by dues-paying party members starting today, as well as in-person voting by Democratic Party lawmakers at polling stations on June 13. In this election, the newly introduced online vote by dues-paying members accounts for 20% of the total, while the 167 Democratic Party lawmakers make up the remaining 80% of the voting bloc.
Within the party, there is a general sense of uncertainty over which of the two candidates, Kim or Seo, will prevail. Both Kim and Seo have emphasized "Myeongsim" (President Lee Jaemyung's intentions), such as ending internal strife and ensuring the success of the Lee Jaemyung administration, during the floor leader candidate debate on June 10 and other events, resulting in few differences in their campaign pledges. In addition, under Lee Jaemyung's leadership, Kim has served as Chief Deputy Secretary-General and Seo as a Supreme Council member; both hail from the Yeongnam region (Kim from Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province; Seo from Sangju, North Gyeongsang Province). Their constituencies are both in Seoul (Kim in Dongjak-gap, Seo in Jungnang-gap), making it difficult for either to claim an advantage based on key positions or regional dynamics.
Moreover, both candidates have adopted similar campaign strategies, including individual outreach to lawmakers, appearances on television and YouTube, and engagement with party members via social networking services (SNS). One Democratic Party lawmaker commented, "Both candidates are actively campaigning by contacting lawmakers individually," but added, "It seems there are still quite a few lawmakers who have yet to make up their minds."
The controversy surrounding Kim's son and his alleged hiring by the National Intelligence Service (NIS), which had been considered a potential last-minute variable, is expected to have only a limited impact. The core of the allegation is that Kim's son passed the written exam, interview, and background check for the NIS in 2014 but was rejected, and that he was accepted after Kim's wife spoke with Lee Heonsu, then Director of Planning and Coordination at the NIS, in 2017. In response, Kim argued, "I learned that a group hostile to Kim Byunggi conspired to have my son rejected. What parent wouldn't be angry?" Furthermore, it has been repeatedly reported that both the NIS and the Board of Audit and Inspection found no issues during their investigations. The controversy is subsiding as other Democratic Party lawmakers, including Park Beomgye and Park Seonwon, as well as rival candidate Seo, have expressed support for Kim.
On the online community "Jaemyung's Village," where supporters of President Lee gather, many posts express uncertainty about which candidate to vote for. Regarding the allegations against Kim, supporters are naming the specific media outlet that reported the story and posting messages saying, "That outlet should stay out of the Democratic Party floor leader election."
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