President Lee to Gwangju vs. Song Young-gil to Bongha... Government and ruling party exert effort to counter Chung Cheong-rae
- Input
- 2026-06-30 15:39:57
- Updated
- 2026-06-30 15:39:57
On this day, President Lee visited Gwangju and held the 'National Briefing on the Vision for the Development of Advanced Industries in the Southwest Region. ' Representatives from Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, the key players in semiconductor investment in the Honam region, attended to explain their 800 trillion won investment plan.
Within the party, given that Honam has the largest proportion of party members with voting rights, there is widespread analysis that the large-scale semiconductor investment, which was finalized the previous day under President Lee’s leadership, will have a significant impact on the race for party leadership. Amidst this, President Lee’s personal visit to Gwangju to repeatedly highlight semiconductor investment appears to be a favorable development for Prime Minister Kim Min-suk and Representative Song, who are considered pro-Lee contenders.
Furthermore, during a cabinet meeting on the same day, President Lee publicly praised Prime Minister Kim, who is about to leave office, stating, "The Prime Minister played the biggest role in our administration's achievements. " In response, Prime Minister Kim said, "I will work even harder and do my utmost in the party and the National Assembly for the success of state affairs.
" While President Lee appeared to be backing Prime Minister Kim, Representative Song visited Bongha and attacked the legitimacy of his rival, former party leader Jeong Cheong-rae. This is a counter-response to former Representative Chung’s claim of legitimacy, as he called for a grand unification of supporters of past democratic presidents.
Following his claim the previous day that former Representative Chung had turned his back on former President Roh Moo-hyun, Representative Song met with reporters at Bongha and remarked, "The responsibility for failing to protect former President Roh lies with all of us. Who would dare claim legitimacy in the face of his death?" He also fired another shot to keep former Representative Chung in check by bringing up his past role in leading opposition to the Roh administration's push for the Korea-US Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
He went on to emphasize, regarding the conflict between the Blue House and the Prosecution Service over whether to grant supplementary investigative powers during former Representative Chung's tenure, that "it is wrong to create a structure where the party and the president fight," adding, "The way to carry on former President Roh's will is to protect and ensure the success of the Lee Jae-myung administration. " Former Representative Chung countered by stating that he had never claimed legitimacy.
At the same time, he indirectly boasted of being the legitimate successor, saying, "I respected President Kim Dae-jung, loved President Roh Moo-hyun, and liked President Moon Jae-in. As a comrade and fellow soldier with President Lee Jae-myung, we broke through the oppression of the Yoon Suk-yeol prosecution dictatorship together.
"
Newsis Democratic Party of Korea Chairman Chung Cheong-rae and Rep. Song Young-gil are seated at a general meeting of lawmakers held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul on the 11th. News1 [Financial News] Not only the contenders for the Democratic Party of Korea leadership but also President Lee Jae-myung is rolling up his sleeves in the race for party leadership.
[email protected] Kim Yun-ho Reporter