Kim Seung-won defended, Yong Hye-in shaken, troop deployment blocked... Democratic Party faces growing complexity

[Financial News] The Democratic Party of Korea is facing growing challenges as the second Lee Jae Myung administration gets underway. Voices within the party are divided over major issues, ranging from the vetting of Cabinet reshuffle nominees to the deployment of troops to the Strait of Hormuz. The party is making different choices on each issue as it balances its role as the ruling party, which must support the government, with its responsibility to convey public and internal party opinion to the administration.

According to political sources on the 10th, the Democratic Party’s recent responses have shown clear differences depending on the issue. The party has directly shielded Kim Seung-won, the nominee for Minister of Justice, from allegations raised by the opposition. However, concerns continue to emerge both inside and outside the party over Yong Hye-in, the nominee for Minister of Gender Equality and Family. On the issue of deployment to the Strait of Hormuz, lawmakers have even begun publicly calling for the government’s review to be halted.
The most complicated issue is the deployment to the Strait of Hormuz. As the government considers a U.S. request to send troops, Democratic Party lawmakers are voicing open opposition rather than merely urging caution.
Lee Gi-heon, a Democratic Party lawmaker on the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, opposed the deployment, saying, "Direct involvement in the war would serve neither the stable supply of energy nor the national interest." Kim Byung-joo, the Democratic Party’s floor leader on the National Assembly’s National Defense Committee, also stressed that South Korea must prioritize the safety of its troops, citizens abroad and commercial vessels, saying, "We must not be unilaterally dragged along by the United States’ demands." Song Young-gil likewise criticized the proposal, comparing it with South Korea’s past deployment to Iraq and saying, "It has even less justification." Park Ji-won, by contrast, said that deploying noncombat troops could be unavoidable given the need to protect South Korean vessels and maintain South Korea-U.S. relations. Opinions within the ruling party are already divided over the deployment, even before the government reaches a final decision.
Party leadership has also begun managing its messaging. Kim Won-i, chair of the Democratic Party’s Strategic Planning Committee, posted a message in a group chat for Democratic Party lawmakers asking them to refrain from making individual statements about the Strait of Hormuz deployment until the government’s position is finalized. The move appears intended to prevent lawmakers’ remarks from being perceived as evidence of disagreement between the party and the government.

The ruling party is also taking different approaches to each nominee in the second Cabinet reshuffle.
Criticism is emerging from both the ruling camp and progressive circles as controversy continues over Yong Hye-in’s decision to retain her parliamentary seat if appointed Minister of Gender Equality and Family. The issue is becoming an increasing burden as the question of whether an incumbent lawmaker can retain a seat while serving as a minister is compounded by controversy over state subsidies received by the Basic Income Party.
Park Ji-won expressed concern, citing opposition from some progressive and women’s groups. Song Young-gil also raised the issue of Yong Hye-in simultaneously retaining the ministerial post and her proportional-representation seat. Separate from the opposition’s attacks, sentiment is growing within the ruling camp that Yong Hye-in must resolve the controversy herself.
The party’s treatment of Kim Seung-won, the nominee for Minister of Justice, is different. As opposition attacks intensified over allegations that he solicited favors for approval of a new drug’s clinical trial, the Democratic Party formed a dedicated response team involving Supreme Council members Han Min-soo and Jeon Yong-gi, spokesperson Cho Gye-won and lawmaker Kim Dong-ah. The party has moved to defend him directly, going beyond explanations from the nominee alone.
Meanwhile, the relationship between the party and the government is becoming even more complicated as Democratic Party lawmakers themselves move first to block the government’s consideration of deployment to the Strait of Hormuz.
Some within the party argue that the emergence of diverse opinions should not automatically be viewed as a conflict between the party and the government. As a large ruling party with 161 seats, the Democratic Party should convey public sentiment and play a coordinating role in policymaking rather than simply providing one-sided support for government policies.
[email protected] Kim Kyung-min Reporter