Party elders urge DP chief to broaden focus

Senior members of South Korea’s Democratic Party on Aug. 12 delivered sharp warnings to party leader Chung Cheong-rae during a meeting with the standing advisory council. Former National Assembly Speaker Chung Sye-kyun said, “The ruling party must not govern by focusing solely on its members.” Former Speaker Moon Hee-sang cautioned, “Do not forget that excess is as harmful as deficiency.” Former lawmaker Lee Yong-deuk advised, “The pace of reform should align with public expectations.” Their remarks underscored a call to represent the entire nation, not just the party’s hardline supporters.

Chung, who won the leadership with overwhelming backing from dues-paying party members, has maintained a combative stance since taking office, championing a “stronger Democratic Party.” He has refused talks with the People Power Party, saying, “A handshake is with a person,” and has declared the rival party “should be dissolved 10 or even 100 times.” The remarks recall his confrontational rhetoric as chair of the National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee when the DP was in the opposition.

The People Power Party’s refusal to reform after its presidential election defeat, instead engaging in factional infighting between supporters and detractors, has been disappointing. Even so, it remains the largest opposition bloc with 107 seats, chosen by the public and forming a key pillar of governance. Vowing to exclude the opposition entirely undermines the checks and balances at the core of parliamentary democracy. With the first regular session of the National Assembly under the Lee Jae-myung administration approaching, a continued course of confrontation between the ruling and opposition parties risks sidelining legislation needed for livelihood issues and economic recovery.

The plan to complete reform legislation before the Chuseok holiday appears to prioritize the demands of hardline members over broader public opinion. Just two days after his election, Chung created special committees on prosecution, media, and judicial reform, appointing hardline lawmakers to lead them. He vowed to “push through the three major reforms like a storm and finish them in a flash.” But speed alone is not the answer. Forcing changes without public support could erode the very legitimacy of the reforms.

The outcome of politics aimed solely at hardline supporters was already demonstrated by former President Yoon Suk-yeol. By refusing dialogue with the opposition and focusing only on rallying his core base, his administration drifted out of step with public sentiment and ultimately collapsed under its own governance. Politics centered on hardline members narrows a party’s reach, and a shrinking base distances it from the electorate. As the party elders advised, the leader of a ruling party must govern from the perspective of the people, not just its members.