Backlash grows over Democratic Party's decision to allow '686 generation' candidates at Aug. 17 convention

The Democratic Party of Korea's leadership has drawn criticism for being "lenient toward the 686 generation" after deciding to allow Rep. Song Young-gil and Kim Yong, former vice president of the Democratic Research Institute, to run in the Aug. 17 national convention despite questions over their eligibility.

Kim Bo-mi, a former Gangjin-gun council member who registered as a candidate for party leader, wrote on her Facebook page Friday: "Youth are disqualified, but the 686 establishment gets a pass? Youth are eliminated by the rules, while the establishment gets an exception? If the same rules are applied differently depending on who you are, that goes beyond unfairness — it is the height of abnormality."

The case has drawn comparisons to that of Park Ji-hyun, a former emergency committee chair of the Democratic Party who was barred from registering as a party leader candidate because she had not been a member for six months. Under party rules, only "rights members" — those enrolled for at least six months who have paid dues at least six times within 12 months — are eligible to run in internal elections.

Song rejoined the party on Feb. 27 after leaving in 2023, meaning he had not been a member for six months as of the candidate registration deadline. Kim failed to meet the dues-payment requirement because his bank account had been frozen. The Democratic Party's supreme council held a late-night meeting Thursday and then voted Friday morning to grant both men exemptions from the eligibility requirements.

Park also criticized the decision Friday, saying: "Today is the day the Democratic Party officially declared itself a party of unfairness — one where youth are told no, but the 686 generation is told yes. I feel a profound sense of despair at this double standard, which shows endless generosity toward a 686 generation that should soon step aside, while cutting down the younger generation with a blade."

Park added: "Party rules and regulations must not be treated as a matter of convenience, nor stretched and shrunk on an ad hoc basis without consistency or principle. I cannot help but feel outraged at the sight of a party that uses youth as a shield when it suits them, then stretches the rules like a rubber band to protect their own interests and ruthlessly drives youth out."

Cho Seung-rae, a Democratic Party lawmaker who served as secretary-general under party leader Jung Chung-rae, publicly voiced his opposition, saying Song's case had "a fundamental flaw — he has not been a member for six months since rejoining the party."

Cho added: "There are precedents — the case of member Park Ji-hyun, who was denied eligibility at the 2022 national convention, and the case of member Lee Jae-jun, whose application to run in the primary election for the Goyang mayoral race in the recent local elections was rejected because his reinstatement date had not yet been reached. When the standard differs from person to person, can we honestly say our party is a fair one?"

Kim, the former local council member, proposed an open debate among all party leader candidates after completing her registration Friday. "I am not raising this issue to attack candidate Song Young-gil personally," she said, but added: "I believe the Democratic Party's principles must take precedence over individual circumstances. If a principle was applied to youth, it should be applied equally to the 686 generation."

She went on to say: "During the preliminary primary election period, the party collects a 10 million won ($6,720) deposit from youth candidates and holds just one joint speech event. It feels devastating — as if the party is trying to block youth from having any chance to speak at all. I don't think the other candidates will agree with the party's plan to limit campaigning to a single speech event either."