Song Young-gil calls for reform of one-member-one-vote system, hints at party leadership bid

Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Song Young-gil, widely seen as a likely candidate for the party's Aug. 17 national convention, said Monday that the current one-member-one-vote system needs to be reformed, citing weakening support among voters in their 20s and 30s.

Appearing on KBS Radio's "Jeongyeok Sisa" on Monday, Song said the system risks narrowing the party's reach if it remains centered on voters in their 40s, 50s and 60s — particularly men — and on specific regions.

He added that the party should go beyond using the one-member-one-vote system solely for leadership elections. He called for an AI-based platform that would allow real-time collection of members' opinions throughout the policy-making process. "We need to build an upgraded party," he said.

Asked about whether he would run in the convention, Song sidestepped the question, saying he was "in the process of gathering opinions from party members."

Song also drew a parallel between the Korea Football Association's widely criticized performance at the ongoing North America World Cup and the state of his own party, saying the party must "use the field broadly." He said the Democratic Party should operate with the same transparency that President Lee Jae Myung has shown by opening Cabinet meetings to the public.

Song had criticized former party leader Jeong Sye-gyun for turning the party into a personal vehicle at a town hall meeting in North Jeolla Province on Sunday. He renewed that attack Monday, taking aim at Jeong's decision to appoint a special adviser during the June 3 local elections. "Giving someone a special adviser title for a local election — not even a presidential election — and to someone who was running as a candidate at that, is strange," he said. He added that such a practice did not exist when he himself led the party.

On speculation that he might form an alliance with Prime Minister Kim Min-seok ahead of the party leadership race, Song pointed to the party's newly adopted runoff system. "Many people are not aware that a runoff system has been introduced. Because of that, alliances naturally form in the runoff round," he said. "Rather than locking in support for a specific candidate from the start, I think a safety net has been created that allows for freer competition."

Asked about writer Yoo Si-min's calls for the party's reconstruction, Song drew a line between commentators and elected officials. "Critics are not accountable," he said. "For lawmakers and the ruling party particularly, what matters is not what you say but the results you produce and the responsibility you take. We are a party that stands by the people's lives to the end — that is a fundamentally different dimension."

On reports that a second semiconductor cluster is likely to be announced for the Honam region, Song said the plan represents "a good opportunity to finally correct decades of relatively underinvestment in the Honam region and restore balance."