Former Democratic Party of Korea leader Jung Chung-rae. [Yonhap]
Former Democratic Party of Korea leader Jung Chung-rae. [Yonhap]

Jung Chung-rae, the former leader of the Democratic Party of Korea who was hospitalized after collapsing from fatigue, shared a recovery update Tuesday.

Writing on SNS, Jung said he had begun sipping water Monday — his fifth day in the hospital — and had since progressed to thin rice porridge. "Today I had watery porridge," he said, signaling that his condition was improving.

Jung said that when he was brought to the emergency room Wednesday, doctors first identified the affected area and the cause before proceeding with diagnosis and treatment.

"Even if a single tiny point — no bigger than a fingernail — breaks down in the body, the whole body suffers chills and fever," he said. "The same is true of a party or a country. Even if only a small part is ailing, all members feel the pain."

He went on to say that if a majority of members were suffering from the same illness, it would need to be treated as the most urgent priority. "Where does the Democratic Party hurt? We must quickly diagnose the problem and begin treatment," he said.

Jung said President Lee Jae Myung had diagnosed "divisive language and attitudes" as the disease afflicting the party.

"The disease of division must be treated with the medicine of unity, and the party must follow through with action," he said.

He added that the party should "disinfect the inflammation of division and grow new flesh" by uniting around the legacies of four former and current leaders — Kim Dae-jung, Roh Moo-hyun, Moon Jae-in and Lee Jae Myung. "You cannot fill your stomach with the first spoonful. Let us start with thin porridge — one spoonful of unity at a time," he added.


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