Candidates fight proxy battle for party leader hopefuls

Attacks target individual rivals

Candidates for the Democratic Party of Korea's supreme council attend a televised debate at OBS Gyeongin TV in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, on Monday. From left: Lim Mi-ae, Kim Yong, Kim Yeong-ho, Han Min-su, Choi Min-hee, Lee Sung-yoon, Park Seon-won and Seo Mi-hwa. [Yonhap]
Candidates for the Democratic Party of Korea's supreme council attend a televised debate at OBS Gyeongin TV in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, on Monday. From left: Lim Mi-ae, Kim Yong, Kim Yeong-ho, Han Min-su, Choi Min-hee, Lee Sung-yoon, Park Seon-won and Seo Mi-hwa. [Yonhap]

Supreme council candidates for the Democratic Party of Korea's Aug. 17 national convention traded factional barbs during a televised debate Monday. Allies of party leader candidate Jung Chung-rae shielded him while attacking rival Kim Min-seok, while pro-Lee Jae Myung candidates outside Jung's camp fired back, accusing Jung of creating discord between the party and the government.

Eight candidates who advanced to the main primary attended the debate at the OBS studio in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province: Choi Min-hee, Kim Yong, Kim Yeong-ho, Seo Mi-hwa, Han Min-su, Lee Sung-yoon, Park Seon-won and Lim Mi-ae, listed in ballot order.

Choi Min-hee, aligned with Jung's camp, asked Han Min-su during an open debate segment whether Jung had truly engaged in "self-serving politics," a phrase that had surfaced repeatedly during the convention process.

Han said the terms "discord" and "self-serving politics" were being used on the basis of feelings and impressions, and called on critics to provide concrete evidence of even a single instance of such behavior.

When Choi pressed further — asking whether Kim Min-seok's reported remark during his time as prime minister, that becoming party leader was his "dream," was not itself an act of self-serving politics — Han agreed. He questioned whether it had been appropriate for a sitting prime minister to say in an interview that leading the party was his personal aspiration.

Pro-Lee candidates hit back. Park Seon-won said opposing the president's policies at every turn and refusing to follow his lead was the very definition of being anti-Lee, and said he had never once heard anyone on "Team Jung Chung-rae" call for backing the president during the convention process.

Seo Mi-hwa said it was the natural duty of the ruling party — as the party that produced the president — to share and publicize the administration's achievements and support him. She said that when the Kospi reached 5,000, a proposal to merge with the Rebuilding Korea Party had overshadowed that accomplishment entirely, and called that an example of the discord being criticized.

Kim Yong took aim at Han over his claim that he had used his own handkerchief to stop the bleeding when President Lee Jae Myung was attacked on Gadeokdo. "It is unforgivable to lie while claiming to be pro-Lee," Kim said, calling it grounds for Han to withdraw from the race.

The debate also saw direct attacks targeting individual candidates.

Park Seon-won raised the controversy over wedding gift money received at Choi's daughter's wedding, saying the party was being seen as one of privilege because those who already have more keep seeking more, driving young people away. He argued that wedding gifts above a certain amount should be required to be reported and disclosed.

The controversy stems from Choi's daughter's wedding held last October at Sarangchae during the national audit period, at which Choi allegedly received gift money from organizations subject to parliamentary oversight. Choi defended herself, saying she had been so focused on her work that she had not been able to properly attend to her daughter's wedding, and that any inappropriate gifts received without her knowledge had been returned.


forest@heraldcorp.com