Jung Chung-rae skipped presidential send-off, now moves to tamp down controversy

The absence of Democratic Party of Korea leader Jung Chung-rae from the airport send-off for President Lee Jae-myung's European tour — and the presence of Prime Minister Kim Min-seok in his place — has sparked a range of interpretations within the ruling camp and broader political circles.

Amid the speculation, Jung moved Wednesday to tamp down the controversy, publicly saying he hoped President Lee would "open a new horizon for national interest diplomacy and practical diplomacy, and return home in triumph."

Jung made the remarks at a Supreme Council meeting at the National Assembly Wednesday morning, saying "through President Lee's unparalleled diplomatic capabilities and achievements, South Korea is building a strong reputation in the international community." The comments were widely read as a show of full support and confidence in the president's eight-night, 10-day European tour.

Jung also said the party would establish an evaluation committee to "make a cold-eyed assessment of the successes and failures" of the local elections and publish a white paper on the results.

He added that the party would "humbly accept the criticism and reproach identified during this election process, filling in what is lacking and refining what needs to be refined." He also pledged to "further strengthen the party-government-Cheong Wa Dae one-team, one-voice approach to steadfastly support the success of the Lee Jae-myung administration."

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Kim, presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik and political affairs senior secretary Hong Ik-pyo were among those who attended Tuesday's send-off for President Lee, while Jung was nowhere to be seen. It was the first time Jung had skipped a presidential overseas departure since taking office last August.

Some analysts also noted it was unusual for Prime Minister Kim to attend the send-off, as he had customarily participated in homecoming events rather than departures.

Cheong Wa Dae explained Jung's absence by saying the event was kept to a minimum because "the problem of flawed ballots is a serious matter," adding that "it is more important for the legislature to focus on its role than to turn out en masse for a presidential send-off." Some figures aligned with President Lee interpreted the episode differently, suggesting the president had used the send-off as a way to boost Prime Minister Kim ahead of the party leadership convention scheduled for Aug. 17. Rep. Lee Geon-tae, a pro-Lee lawmaker, wrote on Facebook that "the leadership must take responsibility for the defeat." A lawmaker aligned with Jung rebuffed that framing, saying, "Stop dragging the president and Cheong Wa Dae into the party leadership primary and creating a false narrative of pro-Lee versus pro-Jung factions."