Democratic Party launches June 3 election review panel, extends activity to 15 weeks

By Joo So-hyun, The Herald Business

The Democratic Party of Korea launched its evaluation committee for the June 3 local elections and National Assembly by-elections on Monday. The panel will operate for about 15 weeks and publish a white paper analyzing the results by late September. The activity period was extended from the originally planned eight weeks to 15, meaning the white paper will be released after the party convention scheduled for Aug. 17.

Lee Jae-young, director of the Democratic Research Institute and co-chair of the committee, said at the panel's inaugural meeting at the National Assembly that "the starting point of an election review is reflection, not self-reproach," adding that the party would "conduct a thorough analysis of the local election and by-election results based on objective data and voices from the field."

Lee said the committee would "humbly document what went well, honestly acknowledge what fell short, and turn those lessons into assets for the future." He pledged to make the process one that deepens public trust in the Democratic Party and lays the groundwork for victory in the 2028 general election.

Co-chair Hong Chang-min, former chair of the Seoul Metropolitan Party's candidate screening committee, said the election "coexists with diverse interpretations and assessments," and that accurate evaluation would require broad data analysis and listening to voices from the field. "We will listen widely to the views of elected officials, candidates, party members and the public, and do our best to produce a balanced and persuasive assessment," he said.

The opening meeting also featured self-critical remarks about the party's low support among voters in their 20s and 30s. Bong Geon-woo, chair of the Democratic Party's university student committee, said there is an assessment that the party "failed to win the hearts of the 2030 generation" in the local elections. "This is not a reactive phenomenon but a larger trend," he said. "We must not simply label them as far-right — they are not an adversary to fight."

Lee said the election produced "phenomena we had not seen before," including split-ticket voting and diverging patterns of support among voters in their 20s and 30s across different regions. "The review should not be seen as a conflict over assigning blame, but as a process of drawing lessons for a better victory," he added.

After a closed-door session, strategic planning committee chair Lee Yeon-hee told reporters that the evaluation committee would operate for a total of 15 weeks from Monday through late September, and that the panel was still weighing whether to conduct focus group interviews or opinion polling.

Lee Yeon-hee said the committee would analyze the factors behind strong performances in competitive areas that had been considered conservative strongholds, particularly in Seoul and Gangwon Province. The panel would also examine the strong support that candidate Kim Boo-kyum received from voters in their 20s and 30s in Daegu, she said.

She added that the committee had decided to interview elected officials from campaign teams and local chapters, covering both metropolitan and basic local government levels, to hear directly about the factors behind wins and losses in each region.

On the decision to extend the panel's activity period, Lee Yeon-hee said there was "a lot to evaluate," and that the goal was to make the review a process of unity and expansion — not one that deepens divisions — by examining multiple areas objectively and fairly to build a foundation for winning the next election. No interim report is currently planned, she said.