'If Jung runs, my chances of entering the race grow significantly'

'If the party collapses, the president faces lame-duck status'

Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Song Young-gil attends a general assembly meeting at the National Assembly in Yeouido on June 11. At right is party leader Jung Chung-rae. [Newsis]
Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Song Young-gil attends a general assembly meeting at the National Assembly in Yeouido on June 11. At right is party leader Jung Chung-rae. [Newsis]

Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Song Young-gil, considered a contender for the party's next leadership, took direct aim at party leader Jung Chung-rae on Sunday as Jung signaled a bid for a second consecutive term ahead of the Aug. 17 party convention.

Appearing on KBC Gwangju Broadcasting, Song said he would watch whether Jung enters the race before deciding his own next move. "If Jung runs, the likelihood of my entering the race grows significantly," he said.

Song added that he wants to see whether voters in Gwangju, South Jeolla Province and particularly North Jeolla Province give him a mandate to run. "Polling will tell us. The trend is starting to show — I am currently leading among three candidates in Gwangju," he said.

Song also voiced concern over Jung's recent remarks. Jung drew backlash from pro-Lee factions within the party after saying, among other things, "The people are eternal; administrations are short."

"Is the leader of the ruling party now trying to stand against the president?" Song said. "If the Jung leadership is running on a platform of openly fighting the president and the party cannot get its act together, what will become of the ruling party? If this party collapses, the president heads into lame-duck territory."

Meanwhile, the Democratic Party is set to shift effectively into convention mode starting this week ahead of the Aug. 17 party leadership election.

Jung is expected to step down as party leader on Wednesday, launching his bid for a second term. Prime Minister Kim Min-seok is set to return to the party after the confirmation hearing for his designated successor, Han Seong-suk, wraps up Thursday and Friday.

Jung and Kim are among those already competing for the favor of President Lee Jae Myung ahead of the convention, which will choose the ruling party leader for the second year of the Lee administration.

Political circles widely expect Kim — who led the inaugural cabinet of the Lee government — to highlight "the president's wishes" upon his return to Yeouido.

President Lee has recently spoken of "politics of responsibility" and a "big-tent" approach in relation to the ruling party's role. Observers say Kim's camp could seize on those remarks as a call for new, inclusive leadership and use them to bolster his candidacy.

In response, Jung has been lavishing praise on President Lee, calling him a "world-class leader" day after day and stressing that "all members of the Democratic Party are pro-Lee, wishing for the success of the Lee administration" as he seeks to demonstrate his commitment to supporting the government.

The "administrations are short" remark had opened a rift in the party-administration relationship, but Jung moved to repair the damage by attending President Lee's homecoming event on Thursday and greeting him with a deep, 90-degree bow.

Separately, Jung has been courting his core base of hard-line supporters — pushing for a one-member, one-vote system for party members and renewing his call for the complete abolition of prosecutors' supplementary investigative powers.


anju1015@heraldcorp.com