Lee's message sparks debate over intended target; Song Young-gil to visit Roh, Moon on Thursday
As political circles debate whether President Lee Jae Myung's public message — posted while on a European tour — was aimed at Democratic Party of Korea leader Jung Chung-rae and hardliners within the ruling party, the contest to lead the party is expected to move into the open this week.
Jung, who has remained silent on whether he will seek a second term or step down, offered an effusive assessment of Lee's overseas trip at a supreme council meeting at the National Assembly on Monday. "Through President Lee's diplomatic capabilities, he is establishing himself as a world-class leader," Jung said, adding that he felt proud as a citizen to see South Korea's standing recognized abroad.
Jung also drew a contrast with the previous administration. "During former President Yoon Suk Yeol's time, people felt anxious every time he went abroad — with President Lee, there is a sense of anticipation," he said, citing remarks he heard frequently from citizens during the local elections. He added that the Lee government was "boldly opening the path to peace on the Korean Peninsula" in the spirit of the June 15 inter-Korean joint declaration, and was demonstrating how peace could transform people's lives.
Earlier, on June 13 local time, President Lee posted a message on X, formerly Twitter, titled "The ruling party, the opposition, and political responsibility," writing that "the ruling party's passion must be directed not at 'our camp' but at 'all citizens.'" He added that the party must play the role of a "big tent," managing conflict and minimizing backlash through constant dialogue rather than confrontation and exclusion — a message that sent subtle ripples through ruling-party circles.
Many in political circles read the post as a pointed signal directed at Jung, who has been positioning himself for a second term as party leader by championing a hard line that includes abolishing prosecutors' supplementary investigative powers.
If Jung decides to seek re-election, observers expect him to announce his position as early as this week. The party's supreme council is scheduled to meet June 24 to discuss forming a preparatory committee for the next party convention.
While Jung stays silent, other contenders for the party leadership are making their presence felt. Rep. Song Young-gil, who returned to the National Assembly through a recent by-election, is set to visit the late former President Roh Moo-hyun's grave site in Bongha Village in Gimhae, South Gyeongsang Province, on Thursday, before traveling to Pyeongsan Village in Yangsan to call on former President Moon Jae-in.
Political observers say Song has made up his mind to run at the party convention expected in August. In a phone interview Monday, Song said the visits were a matter of paying his respects now that he had become the Assembly member with the most terms served. "I also met former Prime Minister Jeong Se-gyun, former Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang and Jeong Dae-cheol, chairman of the Constitutional Government Association," he said. "The party needs to be unified."
Rep. Kim Yong-min also signaled he may enter the race, telling MBC Radio on Monday that he was "in fact considering" a run for party leader. The previous day, he had posted a piece on Facebook titled "On the role of party leader," laying out "liquidating the insurrection and achieving sweeping social reform" as his agenda — a move widely seen as a declaration of intent.
Kim also took a swipe at Jung, saying Jung "should be subject to the same evaluation" and that he "would not be able to confidently answer whether he has sufficiently addressed those tasks over the past year."
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