Non-Lee faction faces massive defeat in candidate nominations

Lee Jae-myung, the party leader of the main opposition Democratic Party, commented on the mass elimination of the non-Lee Jae-myung faction in the nomination results, which included incumbent lawmakers ranking in the bottom 20% in the internal party primary the night before, saying, "Wasn't it truly surprising what happened last night?" Within the party, there was an interpretation that Lee's comment indicated the completion of "Lee Jae-myung's Democratic Party," primarily composed of hawkish party members loyal to the party leadership.

"The Democratic Party's nominations are implementing the principles of popular sovereignty correctly," said Lee during a press conference in Yangpyeong, Gyeonggi Province, condemning the alleged favoritism in the Yangpyeong expressway case involving the family of President Yoon Suk Yeol’s wife Kim Keon Hee, and raised his voice regarding the party primary results, "It is truly wrong to push ahead with issues of factional conflict or internal strife, or condemn who is on whose side." Regarding the controversy over the mass elimination of the non-Lee Jae-myung faction, he questioned, "Why are they disparaging the choices of the people and the party members?"

The pro-Lee faction leadership also chimed in. Kim Seong-hwan, the head of the recruitment committee, said in a phone call, "It's the result of party members confirm‎ing who the owner of the party is," while a key figure in Lee's camp remarked, "Although I was also surprised by the elimination of Park, the former floor leader, it ultimately showed what the party members want."

However, some non-Lee factions revolted, calling their defeat a ‘decimation.’ "There is no way to resist further in a situation where the party has already been dominated by a membership centered around gaeddals (progressive-leaning younger female voters)," a non-Lee lawmaker in the metropolitan constituency said. "With the erosion of diversity within the party, more extreme politics would unfold in the 22nd National Assembly."


윤다빈 기자 empty@donga.com