Lee Jae-myung reelected as main opposition party leader
Rep. Lee Jae-myung waves the party flag after being reelected as chairman of the Democratic Party of Korea during a national convention at KSPO Dome in southeastern Seoul's Songpa District, Sunday. Yonhap
Rep. Lee Jae-myung was reelected as chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) on Sunday, winning a landslide victory in the party's leadership race.
The DPK wrapped up its month-long national convention to elect its leader and announced Lee won 85.4 percent of the total votes, combining votes from party members and a public opinion survey. He defeated two other candidates: former Interior Minister Kim Du-kwan, who received 12.12 percent, and Kim Ji-soo, who garnered 2.48 percent.
The overwhelming ratio of support for him indicated that he and his loyalists are expected to consolidate their dominance over the party and that the party may begin laying the groundwork for him to run in the next presidential election.
Lee has become the first leader of the largest liberal party to be reelected since former President Kim Dae-jung, who was the leader of the National Congress for New Politics from September 1995 to January 2000. Lee was first elected as DPK chief in August 2022 but resigned in June this year from the post to become eligible once again for reelection.
Lee proposed one-on-one talks with President Yoon Suk Yeol and ruling People Power Party (PPP) leader Han Dong-hoon.
“As politicians, our greatest responsibility is to improve people’s livelihoods and restore hope. I wish President Yoon would meet with me again to discuss the people's livelihoods and state affairs in an open manner to be able to carry out what can be done. Last meeting (held in April) had no tangible outcome,” Lee said in his acceptance speech at the national convention held at KSPO Dome in southeastern Seoul's Songpa District.
"I also wish to sit down with Han and discuss ways to resolve political issues. We can start by cooperating on non-contentious bills. Han said he would push for a bill calling for a special counsel chosen by a third party to investigate the military’s response to the death of a Marine. Let's find common ground. In addition, let's talk about how to deal with the prolonged slump in domestic demand. Cash handouts may support the recovery of people's livelihoods."
Although he proposed talks with Yoon and the ruling party chief, the DPK's stance on state affairs and contentious political issues is unlikely to change under Lee. This means the stalemate in the opposition-controlled National Assembly will likely continue in areas where the liberals have clashed with the president, such as slapping taxes on financial investment incomes and launching a special counsel probe into the Marine's death during a flood rescue operation in July 2023.
Another recently raised conflict between the DPK and the ruling bloc is a row over the investigation into first lady Kim Keon Hee’s alleged graft and stock manipulation. Rep. Jeon Hyun-heui of the DPK called Kim a murderer during an Assembly hearing session on Wednesday, accusing her of contributing to the recent suicide of an anti-corruption official who was involved in the probe.
Meanwhile, the chairman's overwhelming victory has raised concerns over his tightening grip on the party, potentially silencing diverse voices.
Former DPK lawmaker Chung Bong-ju, who ran for a seat on the party's Supreme Council, publicly criticized Lee's party dominance during the convention. This caused support for Chung to collapse, with the candidate facing boos and derogatory remarks both while campaigning and at the convention venue. He ended up failing to get a Supreme Council seat.
“Lee has created a non-inclusive environment where the party is controlled by one man,” political commentator Kim Sang-il said. "The concentration of power can have a boomerang effect because the anti-Lee factions don’t just disappear. They lay low and search for new opportunities."
Next, Lee will be tasked with uniting the liberal bloc blighted by factionalism and then leading the party to victory in the local elections scheduled for June 2026.
Rep. Lee Jae-myung, the reelected chairman of the Democratic Party of Korea, high fives his supporters at the main opposition party's national convention at KSPO Dome in southeastern Seoul's Songpa District, Sunday. Yonhap
With Lee's leadership secured, the DPK is also likely to lay the groundwork for his second presidential run, slated for March 2027. In 2022, Lee lost to Yoon by a thin margin.
However, judicial challenges will continue to weigh on him as he is caught up in a series of criminal allegations, some of which he is facing trial for. They include the alleged provision of unlawful favors to private developers for a land development project in Daejang-dong, a neighborhood of Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, when he was Seongnam mayor, as well as an alleged false information announcement during the 2021 presidential campaign and alleged involvement in the transfer of illicit funds to North Korea.
“Lee’s first court verdict on election law violation charges due in October will play a crucial role in determining his political future. Criminal charges carry far more serious repercussions for the opposition leader,” Kim said.