Attacks between the two frontrunners in the Democratic Party of Korea's Aug. 17 national convention are intensifying. Candidate Kim Min-seok has broadened his offensive against rival Jung Chung-rae, adding claims of outside interference through dual-membership holders from the Rebuilding Korea Party to his earlier "Shincheonji allegations."
On Wednesday, Kim wrote on his X account (formerly Twitter) that on the question of resolving dual party membership, "if it serves to reinforce the Rebuilding Korea Party's independent line, that too will be taken into account," adding that "the Democratic Party will resolve dual memberships and sweep away suspicions over ghost members."
Kim went on to say that "the Democratic Party will prevail on both fronts — inside and outside the party," vowing to "overcome anti-Lee Jae Myung forces, factionalism, Shincheonji and any combination thereof, and to protect the president, the party, the government and its policy agenda while fighting desperately to revive both Honam and Yeongnam."
The remarks are seen as an attempt by Kim to steer the convention's defining narrative in his favor, as the two candidates have framed the race in starkly different terms. On Tuesday, Kim said "the essence of this convention is breaking the secret three-way alliance of anti-Lee forces, factionalists and Shincheonji" — a thinly veiled criticism of Jung, who was party leader when a push for a Shincheonji special prosecutor earlier this year fell through.
Jung, for his part, wrote on his Facebook page Wednesday that "the Aug. 17 convention is simple: whether to pursue prosecutorial reform or not, whether to defend the one-person-one-vote system or scrap it, and whether to unite or divide from the perspective of carrying on the legacy of presidents Kim Dae-jung, Roh Moo-hyun, Moon Jae-in and Lee Jae Myung."
Jung also pushed back against the allegations leveled at him, saying he would "take legal action against fake news," while continuing to appeal to the party's hard-line base. His strategy appears focused on messaging around prosecutorial reform — centered on the complete abolition of the supplementary investigative authority — to rally core supporters. He also called for moving "beyond divisive conspiracy theories toward unity and reform."
A survey by the Korea Society Opinion Institute (KSOI) conducted Monday and Tuesday among 1,000 people nationwide found Jung leading with 25.7 percent to Kim's 21.5 percent, a race within the margin of error. Among Democratic Party supporters, however, Kim led with 36.1 percent against Jung's 32.6 percent. (Automated wireless response method; 95 percent confidence level; margin of error ±3.1 percentage points; response rate 5.4 percent)
KSOI said Jung "holds a relative advantage among the general public, progressive voters, those in Gwangju and the Jeolla region, and those who support abolishing the prosecutors' supplementary investigative authority," adding that he "appears to be reversing an early deficit by absorbing opinion that values swift pursuit of reform and Democratic Party orthodoxy."
On Kim, KSOI said his support was concentrated among Democratic Party loyalists and those who approve of the president's job performance, reflecting "expectations for stable governance through party-government cooperation." The institute added that the race reflects a choice over whether the ruling party should prioritize "bold reform" or "stable party-government cooperation."
Meanwhile, the Democratic Party is holding a preliminary primary from Tuesday through Thursday to narrow the field of party leader candidates from five to three. The five candidates — Kim Min-seok, Ko Min-jung, Jung Chung-rae, Kim Bo-mi and Song Young-gil, listed in ballot order — are vying for the party leadership. The preliminary primary reflects votes from central committee members (35 percent), dues-paying party members (35 percent) and a public opinion poll (30 percent).
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