Ruling party faces leadership shakeup as several eye local election bids

Democratic Party of Korea Chair Jung Chung-rae (center) speaks during a Supreme Council meeting at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on Wednesday. (Yonhap)

Several members of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea’s Supreme Council are poised to step down in the coming days to launch bids in next year’s June 3 local elections, party officials said.

Despite the expected departures, the party is not anticipated to shift into an emergency leadership system, as the number of vacancies falls short of the threshold required under party rules.

The party’s senior spokesperson Park Soo-hyun told reporters after a Supreme Council meeting Friday that several members “have already conveyed their intention verbally to Chair Jung Chung-rae” and are preparing to submit resignation letters around Monday. Under the party charter, Supreme Council members seeking to run in the June elections must resign by Tuesday.

According to party sources, three Supreme Council members are almost certain to vacate their seats: Rep. Jeon Hyun-heui, reportedly planning to run for Seoul mayor, and Reps. Han Jun-ho and Kim Byung-joo, both eyeing the Gyeonggi gubernatorial primary.

Rep. Lee Un-ju, who was reportedly weighing a potential run for Gyeonggi governor, announced Sunday afternoon in a Facebook post that she would not be running in the gubernatorial primary and would "stay behind in the party leadership."

Even if all three step down, the party will not automatically shift to an interim emergency leadership. The party can only transition to an emergency committee if five or more of its nine Supreme Council members resign — a threshold that observers say is unlikely to be met.

The departure of the Supreme Council members will trigger an intraparty leadership election scheduled for mid-January. “Because the remaining term exceeds eight months, the election will be held,” Park said.

Under the charter, successors are elected through a vote split evenly between the Central Committee and dues-paying party members.

The latest reports come as the competition for the Democratic Party’s nominations in Seoul and Gyeonggi — the two most high-profile local battlegrounds — is already heating up.

More than 10 figures are being floated as potential liberal contenders for the Seoul mayoral nomination, including Seongdong-gu chief Chong Won-oh and Democratic Party Rep. Park Ju-min.

Rep. Park Hong-geun, meanwhile, officially declared his candidacy for Seoul mayor on Wednesday.

A similarly fierce contest is emerging for the role of Gyeonggi governor. Former Justice Minister and Democratic Party Rep. Choo Mi-ae, who enjoys strong grassroots support, is widely expected to challenge incumbent Gov. Kim Dong-yeon, as Reps. Kim Byung-joo and Han Jun-ho are reportedly preparing their own bids.

Regarding the matter, Democratic Party Chair Jung offered a measured response on Friday, saying, "Several of our Supreme Council members are embarking on their journeys, carrying dreams of victory in the local elections. … The party will swiftly fill the vacancies and make full preparations for a decisive win.”