Jung Chung-rae calls for systematic review of local election results as Democratic Party forms assessment panel

Democratic Party of Korea leader Jung Chung-rae said Friday that the party's review of the June 3 local elections and National Assembly by-elections should be conducted through a formal institutional process rather than left to individual assessments.

Speaking at a general assembly of lawmakers at the National Assembly, Jung said the Supreme Council had decided to establish an internal election assessment committee and publish a white paper on the results.

"The white paper will incorporate both external and internal perspectives to ensure the most objective evaluation possible," he said, adding that the committee would be co-chaired by one outside figure and one party insider.

He urged the party to take to heart both the praise and the criticism from voters and party members, not just the numbers. "Let us move forward as one in support of President Lee Jae-myung and the success of his administration," he said.

Jung invoked a river-and-sea metaphor to call for unity. "A river flows into the sea because the sea is wider and deeper," he said. "We must acknowledge our differences and, with that open spirit, bring the party, the government and the presidential office together as one team and one voice."

He also said that becoming party leader had given him a new understanding of why President Lee had not smiled during the general election campaign. "Applauding and congratulating the winners matters, but thinking of those who must feel the sting of defeat — Kim Boo-kyum in Daegu, Oh Jung-gi in North Gyeongsang Province — I could not simply smile," he said.

Jung still congratulated those who won seats in the by-elections, naming incoming lawmakers Song Young-gil, Lee Gwang-jae, Kim Nam-kuk, Kim Eui-kyum, Kim Nam-jun, Kim Seong-beom, Park Ji-won, Im Moon-young and Jeon Eun-su.

Of Rep. Song, Jung said, "He has served as party leader and I expect him to contribute greatly as a political leader of our party going forward."

Jung's call for a systematic review was widely read as a response to accountability demands within the party over defeats in key battleground races, including Seoul, Pyeongtaek in Gyeonggi Province and the Busan Buk-gap constituency.

On Thursday, Jung had described the overall outcome as a "major victory," saying he was "deeply grateful to the people who delivered a great win for the Democratic Party nationwide," even as he acknowledged the pain of failing to recapture Seoul.

With a party leadership convention on the horizon, the accountability debate could sharpen factional tensions within the party.

Supreme Council member Kang Deuk-gu told reporters after the assembly that the party should have done more to reflect the standards for candidate nominations, the spirit of the times and the demands of party members. "The leadership must reflect inwardly and accept this with solemnity," he said.

Kang is considered close to Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, who is mentioned as a potential contender for the party leadership.

Rep. Song, who is also discussed as a possible convention candidate, deflected questions about leadership accountability. "Before asking who is responsible, we need to objectively assess and analyze the situation," he said, stressing that the party must create a turning point to win back voters in their 20s and 30s who have been drifting away.

On Thursday, Song told a radio program that the party leader bears full political responsibility for the local election results, adding that a comprehensive assessment would come once the leadership convention gets underway.