Kim Yong slams Jung Chung-rae's 'administrations are short-lived' remark, calls local election result 'in effect a total defeat'; pro-Jung faction turns fire on Rep. Song Young-gil over independent candidate remarks

Democratic Party of Korea leader Jung Chung-rae listens to Supreme Council member Hwang Myung-sun speak about leadership accountability over the local election results at the party's first Supreme Council meeting since the June 3 local elections, held Wednesday at the National Assembly. [Yonhap]
Democratic Party of Korea leader Jung Chung-rae listens to Supreme Council member Hwang Myung-sun speak about leadership accountability over the local election results at the party's first Supreme Council meeting since the June 3 local elections, held Wednesday at the National Assembly. [Yonhap]

Factional tensions within the Democratic Party of Korea are intensifying ahead of the Aug. 17 leadership convention. Allies of former leader Lee Jae Myung have criticized party leader Jung Chung-rae over his remark that "administrations are short-lived," calling it "highly inappropriate," while pro-Jung forces have been relentlessly targeting Rep. Song Young-gil — a rival candidate for the party leadership — as someone who has acted against the party's interests.

Kim Yong, former vice president of the Democratic Research Institute, took direct aim at Jung's remark Thursday on CBS Radio's "Park Sung-tae's News Show." "Isn't 'administrations are short-lived' the kind of language that should come from the opposition?" he said. "Hearing it from our own party leader — I thought it sounded like the political rhetoric of People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok. It has drawn wide criticism. It was a truly remarkable gaffe."

Jung had made the comment Wednesday at a Supreme Council meeting, saying, "The will of the people is the will of heaven. No administration can overcome the people," and adding, "The people are eternal; administrations are short-lived."

Kim also rebuffed the party leadership's claim of a sweeping victory in the June 3 local elections. Pointing to the results for basic local government chief races — where the Democratic Party won 115 seats against the People Power Party's 95 — he said the narrow margin told a different story. "It is no exaggeration to say this was nearly a total defeat. The biggest cause was a complete lack of strategy," he said.

On the question of Jung seeking re-election as party leader, Kim said running was "entirely possible" but argued that prior action was essential. "Should there not be some measure taken beforehand to win the hearts of the public?" he said.

Democratic Party lawmaker Moon Jin-seog also weighed in Wednesday on Facebook. "'The people are eternal; administrations are short-lived' — this is highly inappropriate language for the leader of the ruling party," he wrote. "I am deeply worried about our party's future."

Meanwhile, criticism of Rep. Song Young-gil from pro-Jung forces has continued unabated. The backlash centers on remarks Song made during the local election campaign in which he defended Kim Kwan-young, the current North Jeolla Province governor who ran as an independent after being expelled from the Democratic Party and competed against Lee Won-taek, the governor-elect. Song had said, "Kim Kwan-young is ultimately a Democratic Party person."

Lee Won-taek responded Wednesday on Facebook, demanding disciplinary action. "Song Young-gil's conduct against the party must be punished without fail. It was a betrayal of party members who fought desperately across North Jeolla Province to protect the Democratic Party candidate," he wrote. "This is conduct against the party that cannot be tolerated."

Earlier, Supreme Council member Lee Sung-yoon and Rep. Choi Min-hee had also criticized Song along similar lines, saying his actions amounted to conduct against the party.

Song responded Thursday on Facebook, urging restraint. "We have already learned at great cost how deep the wounds left by division can be. Division has never made us stronger," he wrote. "When criticism and fault-finding toward one another become excessive and cross a line, they ultimately do nothing to help us achieve our larger goals."

"We can think differently. We can take different paths. We can compete," he added. "But there is no need for people looking in the same direction to stab each other in the eyes."


sunpine@heraldcorp.com