Yang Moonseok Questions, "Is Chung Cheongrae the Judiciary Committee Chair a Different Person from Chung Cheongrae the Party Leader Candidate?"

Concerns of Division as Pro-Lee Jaemyung Faction Splits Over Leadership
Calls for Park Chandae to Run Spread After Chung Cheongrae Announces Candidacy

Moonseok Yang, member of the Democratic Party of Korea. Office of Moonseok Yang

Yang Moonseok, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea classified as pro-Lee Jaemyung (pro-Lee Jaemyung faction), on June 16 publicly endorsed Chung Cheongrae's candidacy for party leader and strongly criticized the skeptical views held by some within the party.

After visiting the National Seoul National Cemetery with Chung earlier that morning, Yang wrote on Facebook, "I do not understand why a comrade who has fought alongside us is suddenly being viewed as someone to be excluded." He pointed out that during a recent conversation with some members of the party leadership, he was asked, "Why are you siding with Chung Cheongrae?" and took issue with this attitude.

Previously, on June 13, the Democratic Party elected Kim Byungki as the new floor leader and completed key appointments including Moon Jinseok, Heo Young, and Park Sanghyuk. On the morning of June 16, Kim and the new leadership paid their respects at the cemetery, and Chung, who visited at a similar time, exchanged brief greetings with them.

Chung Cheongrae officially announced his candidacy for party leader the previous day, highlighting his role under the Lee Jaemyung leadership and his experience as an impeachment prosecutor against former President Yoon Sukyeol. Many pro-Lee Jaemyung lawmakers, including Yang Moonseok, were present at the event.

Yang questioned, "Is 'Chung Cheongrae, the Judiciary Committee Chair,' a different person from 'Chung Cheongrae, the party leader candidate'?" He recalled, "For three years, we, united as comrades, desperately fought, hoping earnestly for 'President Lee Jaemyung.' We survived winters so harsh that our hands and faces froze, making it difficult even to smile, and we endured the tricks of legal technicians whose schemes exceeded imagination, relying on our own strength."

Democratic Party lawmaker Chung Cheongrae, who declared his candidacy for party leader, is writing in the guestbook after paying respects at the Memorial Tower of the National Seoul National Cemetery in Dongjak-gu, Seoul on the 16th. Photo by Yonhap News

He again questioned, "During the 12·12 military coup-like emergency martial law situation, when we crossed the thin ice with our hearts pounding, was Chung Cheongrae not our comrade?" He lamented, "It has been barely two weeks since the presidential election victory, yet already 'we' have disappeared, and among supporters who once ran together in the same direction, there is now only fierce criticism and language of exclusion."

He continued, "If this atmosphere intensifies, we must ask who ultimately benefits from it. When someone says, 'Why Chung Cheongrae, so unlike you?' what answer should I give? Since when did Chung Cheongrae stop being one of 'us,' stop being a comrade, and become a 'political untouchable' who must not be contacted at all?"

Within the Democratic Party, signs of overheating have emerged even before the next party leadership election has officially begun. Especially after Chung Cheongrae, known as a hardline pro-Lee Jaemyung figure, declared his candidacy, there have been calls within the party for Park Chandae, the former floor leader and another pro-Lee Jaemyung figure, to run as well. While Park has not announced whether he will run, competition for leadership is intensifying even within the pro-Lee Jaemyung faction, raising concerns about early division.