'First time hearing such slurs since joining in 1988': Woo Won-shik blasts Democratic Party's heated leadership race

Former National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik sharply criticized the intensifying competition surrounding the Democratic Party of Korea's national convention.

Speaking Thursday on CBS Radio's "Park Seong-tae's News Show," Woo said the race had taken on the appearance of a power struggle over who controls candidate nominations — as if it were a preliminary bout for the next presidential election. He said there had been no discussion or competition over livelihood issues affecting ordinary citizens, such as stock market inequality, real estate and the sense of deprivation among young people.

"Since joining the Party of the People in 1988, I have never once heard the kind of mocking, contemptuous slurs being used now," Woo said. "There were factional conflicts in the past, but what is happening now is on a completely different level."

Woo also offered a sobering assessment of the June 3 local election results, saying the party "cannot call it a victory." He said the party had failed to earn a positive evaluation from the public and that voters had sent a clear message — asking what the Democratic government was actually doing for people struggling to make ends meet — but the party had offered no response to that message.

"If we fail to address these problems, the people will not give us a fifth Democratic government," he warned.

The candidates currently mentioned as contenders for the party leadership ahead of the Aug. 17 national convention include Jung Chung-rae, Song Yeong-gil, Kim Min-seok and Kim Yong-min. The race has grown increasingly heated as the next party leader will hold nomination rights for the 2028 general election.