Democratic Party Convention Set for August 17... Jeong Expected to Seek Re-election

Jeong Cheongrae: "This is the first national convention to implement the one-person, one-vote system"

National convention date set with 83.26% approval at Central Committee meeting

President Lee to return to Korea on June 18

With the Democratic Party of Korea’s national convention set for August 17, it is widely expected that leader Jeong Cheongrae will seek re-election. As figures such as Prime Minister Kim Minseok and Democratic Party lawmaker Song Younggil also emerge as strong contenders, the competition for the party leadership is expected to intensify.

At the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on this day, Jeong stated, "Yesterday, the party's Central Committee passed the amendment to the party constitution for the national convention with a voter turnout of over 80% and an approval rate of over 80%. This will be the first national convention to implement the one-person, one-vote system." Previously, the Democratic Party's Central Committee had decided on June 17 to approve the amendment to the party constitution for the August 17 national convention. The convention preparation committee is scheduled to be formed on June 26.

Jeong Cheong-rae, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, Han Byung-do, floor leader, and senior members are attending the senior members' meeting held at the National Assembly on June 17, 2026. Photo by Kim Hyun-min

At the Supreme Council meeting, Jeong remarked, "With the implementation of the one-person, one-vote system, factional conflicts within the party will disappear, and lawmakers will be able to focus on their legislative activities without being influenced by internal factions." The previous day, Jeong had declared at the Central Committee, "Just as the people are the owners of the country, the party members are the owners of the party," and added, "It may look like the party leader runs the party, but ultimately, it is the members who do." While there has been criticism regarding Jeong’s bid for re-election as party leader, these remarks are interpreted as his intention to act according to the will of the party members.

On this day, Jeong also responded to media and YouTube reports regarding alleged discord between the party and the presidential office, saying, "I have tolerated and suppressed most things," but warned, "Since the recent reports go beyond harming me and are damaging the party itself, I will take strong legal action."

Meanwhile, as President Lee is scheduled to return to Korea on June 18, there is interest in whether Jeong and other Democratic Party leaders will be present at the scene. When President Lee departed the country, the Democratic Party leadership was not visible, which led to various interpretations regarding the relationship between the party and the presidential office. Kang Junhyun, the Democratic Party’s chief spokesperson, said, "I understand that coordination between the presidential office and the party is underway."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.