Jung Cheong-rae Announces Candidacy for Democratic Party Leadership

On June 15, Jung Cheong-rae, a four-term member of the Democratic Party of Korea, held a press conference in the National Assembly's communication room in Yeouido, Seoul, to announce his candidacy for party leader. He stated, "To ensure the success of President Lee Jae-myung's government, I will act as one with the president as the leader of the Democratic Party."

During the conference, Jung reflected on his aspirations from three years ago, saying, "I dreamed of Lee Jae-myung as president and Jung Cheong-rae as party leader. However, I had to postpone that dream as Lee became the party leader and I fought against the tyrannical regime of former President Yoon Seok-youl as a Supreme Council member. Now, with President Lee's dream realized, I am finally challenging for the party leadership."

He emphasized his role as the campaign chair for the Gwangju and Jeonnam regions during the last presidential election, stating, "As the joint campaign chair in the alleys of Gwangju and Jeonnam, I passionately called for votes for President Lee. I traveled to rural markets and island villages, working diligently in the most humble places to support the Democratic Party and ensure President Lee's victory."

Jung outlined ten promises aimed at ensuring the success of the Lee Jae-myung administration, which include: maintaining the delegate system while abolishing the delegate voting system; swiftly imprisoning former President Yoon Seok-youl; activating internal task forces for judicial and media reform immediately after the party convention; electing basic proportional representatives through party member votes; institutionalizing member voting; enhancing member education by having the party leader also serve as the head of the education training center; implementing a member reward system and holding an annual concert; establishing a permanent SNS committee for a smart party; hosting an annual policy expo for members; and integrating member zones with the complaints office.

After the press conference, Jung explained to reporters the timing of his announcement, stating, "Since President Lee has been elected, I felt it was the right time to pursue the party leadership I had considered for three years, especially after the floor leader election concluded. Visiting the May 18th cemetery and then announcing my candidacy today is not unusual."

When asked if he had communicated his intentions to President Lee, Jung replied, "I haven't gone into detail, but I believe President Lee is aware that I would run after the election. I think he will support me in spirit."