Jung Chung-rae, a candidate in the Democratic Party of Korea's Aug. 17 national convention leadership race, said Tuesday that President Lee Jae Myung's approval rating would rise by more than 10 percentage points the moment Jung became party leader. He also pledged to embrace his rival Kim Min-seok, saying he would "take Kim Min-seok under my wing in the broader interest of putting the party first."
Speaking in an interview on the YouTube program "Kim Eojun's Humility Is Hard News Factory," Jung attributed the recent slide in President Lee's approval rating to the core support base pulling away. "As you can see in the polling, the core supporters seem to have turned their backs," he said. "We need to bring the traditional supporters back so they can rally with passion again."
"For that to happen, it is important that Jung Chung-rae becomes party leader," he said. "I want people to think back to the night of Dec. 3 — the night of Yoon Suk Yeol's emergency martial law and insurrection. Restoring the sense of solidarity we shared in overcoming that is the path to raising the president's approval rating."
Jung framed his contest against Kim as "organization versus momentum," drawing a parallel to the 2002 presidential primary. "Just as Roh Moo-hyun's momentum defeated Lee In-je's organization, I believe Jung Chung-rae's momentum will defeat Kim Min-seok's organization," he said, adding that voters should not take Kim's words at face value.
Ahead of the Honam regional primary, Jung expressed confidence. "The real grassroots sentiment in Gwangju, among ordinary party members, is overwhelmingly for Jung Chung-rae," he said. "It is almost miraculous that the gap was only about 1.48 percentage points before the Honam, Seoul and Gyeonggi Province rounds."
Asked whether he could reconcile with Kim after the race, Jung pushed back on the premise. "I am not that petty," he said, "and I have not let personal feelings get in the way." He added that even after being cut from candidate lists and losing nomination bids, he had never left the party and had devoted himself to it. "I will take Kim Min-seok under my wing — putting the party first, in the broader interest," he said.
However, Jung said the "Shincheonji allegations" raised by Kim would still need to be dealt with. "Of course, if I become party leader, I will have to take action to resolve those allegations," he said. He also said he would do everything possible to bring together members who had supported Kim and those who had supported him.
Jung said he would accept the outcome of the race even if he lost. "If I do not become party leader, that too is a choice and decision made by party members, and I will accept it humbly," he said. "I will do my utmost to achieve unity within the party."
If elected party leader, Jung said his top priorities would be AI and semiconductor policy. "I will establish a special semiconductor committee within the party and serve as its chairman myself, and we must pass a special semiconductor law within a month or two," he said. "Showing our best efforts to make Korea a powerhouse in AI and semiconductors will leave a strong impression in support of the Lee Jae Myung government's success."
Jung also made a direct appeal to Honam party members. "Honam is the sacred ground of democratization and the mother of the Democratic Party," he said. "I will uphold loyalty to President Lee Jae Myung and the party — so I ask the party members to stand by Jung Chung-rae."
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