The Democratic Party of Korea said Friday it had failed to reach a decision on introducing a preferential voting system for the party leader election at its Aug. 17 national convention and would continue discussions later that night.
Chief spokesperson Kang Jun-hyeon told reporters after the morning supreme council meeting that the party had been unable to reach a legal conclusion on the voting format for the party leader and supreme council member primaries, including the youth council member primary.
"Acting leader and floor leader Han Byung-do said he would reach a conclusion one way or another today, so we decided to reconvene the supreme council tonight to discuss and make a decision," Kang added.
Kang said the morning closed-door session had taken up a report from the national convention preparatory committee on the preferential voting system — submitted the previous day — but that disagreements emerged and no vote was taken.
At the open supreme council meeting, a sharp exchange broke out between council members aligned with former party leader Lee Jae Myung and those aligned with Jung Chung-rae over whether it was appropriate to introduce preferential voting for this convention.
Council member Hwang Myung-sun said the system had been adopted a year ago with unanimous support and after careful deliberation by then-party leader Lee Jae Myung, and criticized those now seeking to undermine it "on the grounds that it is disadvantageous to a particular candidate."
Council member Kang Deuk-gu argued that preferential voting does not violate the party charter or rules. "Preferential voting is not a separate, incompatible system from runoff voting — it is one method of conducting a runoff," he said.
Council member Lee Seong-yun countered that introducing preferential voting — which he called a clear violation of the party charter and rules — would first require amending those rules, "just as President Lee Jae Myung did," before it could be applied.
Council member Moon Jeong-bok said applying preferential voting to the party leader election without amending the current rules "does not conform to the party charter," adding that changing the rules with just one week before candidate registration "would only invite further controversy."
Council member Park Gyu-hwan also pressed, asking "Is it because it benefits a particular candidate?" He questioned what could be gained by pushing preferential voting — which he said faces serious constitutional and legal challenges — over a runoff system that raises no such concerns.
Pro-Lee faction council members went further, calling on pro-Jung faction members to resign from the supreme council. The move appeared driven by concern that the preferential voting proposal could be voted down if the standoff continued.
Kang told reporters that former party leader Jung Chung-rae "stepped down in order to run again," and said council members planning to seek re-election to the supreme council or a provincial party chairmanship "should either resign immediately or be stripped of their council membership." The remarks appeared directed at Lee Seong-yun, who is weighing whether to seek another term on the council or run for the North Jeolla provincial party chairmanship.
Kang also took direct aim at council member Park Ji-won, who entered the National Assembly through the June 3 by-election, saying: "He is not an ordinary member-turned-council member — he is a lawmaker. Shouldn't he know to step down on his own?"
Hwang also said it would be "the sensible and fair thing to do, without undermining democracy," for any council member considering a run to step down from the party leadership.
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