Democratic Party’s special counsel pick linked to Lee’s case fuels factional clash
The Democratic Party of Korea leadership faced renewed internal conflict over its recommendation of a lawyer involved in the case against President Lee Jae Myung regarding the ‘illegal inter-Korean remittance case’ as the second special counsel candidate.
Earlier, the Democratic Party recommended lawyer Jeon Joon-cheol, who was part of the defense team for former Ssangbangwool Chairman Kim Seong-tae, as a special counsel candidate. President Lee reportedly expressed anger, calling the recommendation “inappropriate.” Kim, the former chairman, made statements unfavorable to President Lee during the investigation, and the president’s camp suspected prosecutorial coercion in the process. On the 5th, President Lee unusually appointed lawyer Kwon Chang-young, recommended by the opposition Rebuilding Korea Party, as the second special counsel instead of the ruling party’s nominee.
Lawyer Jeon was recommended by pro-Cheong Wa Dae Supreme Council member Lee Sung-yoon and approved by Representative Jung Chung-rae. The pro-Myung faction rebelled, denouncing, “Is the Jung Chung-rae leadership sane?” and labeling the move “a betrayal and treason against President Lee.” On the 8th, Representative Jung apologized through a senior spokesperson, stating, “We are sorry for causing inconvenience to the president due to the party’s failure in personnel verification.”
◇President Lee’s Displeasure Over Ruling Party’s Recommendation… Pro-Myung Faction Condemns Jung Chung-rae: “Clear Treason”
Within the ruling bloc, voices emerged that the conflict between the pro-Myung and pro-Cheong Wa Dae factions had escalated, following Representative Jung’s push for a one-person-one-vote system for delegates and party members, the merger issue with the Rebuilding Korea Party, and now the special counsel dispute.
The pro-Myung faction criticized, “Unlike past conflicts, this special counsel recommendation openly targets President Lee Jae Myung,” and strongly condemned Representative Jung. They argued that the leadership’s nomination of Jeon Joon-cheol as a candidate was “politically motivated.” President Lee also reportedly questioned the recommendation, saying, “How could such a person be recommended?” and implying “it does not appear to be done with pure intentions.”
Lawyer Jeon was part of the defense team for former Ssangbangwool Chairman Kim Seong-tae, who was implicated in the illegal inter-Korean remittance case involving President Lee. Kim, extradited from Thailand in January 2023 and investigated by the Suwon District Prosecutors’ Office, stated that the $8 million sent to North Korea was for President Lee’s visit to the North during his tenure as Gyeonggi Governor. This testimony played a decisive role in the president’s indictment. The president’s camp suspects prosecutorial coercion in the process. The trial, currently in its first stage, has been suspended, fueling suspicions among the pro-Myung faction that the leadership intentionally recommended a lawyer linked to Kim’s defense to disadvantage President Lee.
However, the Jung Chung-rae leadership claimed they were unaware of Jeon’s past involvement. It was reported that Representative Jung’s office only realized the situation after President Lee appointed Kwon, the Rebuilding Korea Party’s nominee, on the 5th. Senior spokesperson Park Soo-hyun explained, “Supreme Council member Lee Sung-yoon recommended two candidates, and Jeon was the one ultimately selected.” The leadership admitted to proceeding without proper verification of Jeon. Lee Sung-yoon also took responsibility, stating, “The controversy is entirely my fault.”
Lawyer Jeon clarified via Lee Sung-yoon’s Facebook, “My defense focused on Ssangbangwool employees’ personal embezzlement and breach of trust, unrelated to the inter-Korean remittance case.” He noted that the defense team included former senior prosecutors, and he joined as a lawyer at Lee & Ko after serving as head of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office’s Anti-Corruption Division 1 and 2.
Pro-Myung lawmakers targeted the Jung Chung-rae leadership, stating, “A simple internet search for Jeon Joon-cheol reveals all controversies.” Representative Lee Geon-tae, a former lawyer for President Lee in the Daejang-dong case, held a press conference, condemning the move as “treason against President Lee and the party’s official stance.” He demanded Representative Jung conduct an internal investigation and urged Lee Sung-yoon to resign.
Supreme Council member Kang Deuk-gu criticized on Facebook, “The leadership’s unilateral recommendation without consulting the Legislation and Judiciary Committee is grave. How can we claim to be a ‘single team’ of the party, government, and Cheong Wa Dae if even I, a Supreme Council member, was unaware?” Hwang Myeong-seon, another Supreme Council member, warned, “If the special counsel recommendation bypassed the Supreme Council and Legislation and Judiciary Committee, it signals a collapse of the party’s decision-making system. The leadership must clarify the circumstances and hold those responsible accountable.” Legislation and Judiciary Committee Democratic Party floor leader Kim Yong-min expressed anger, “I am furious that a problematic special counsel candidate was recommended without any sense of guilt,” while Representative Jeon Hyun-heui called it “an insult to the president.”
Within the ruling bloc, concerns grew that the party-government (Democratic Party-Cheong Wa Dae) and pro-Myung-pro-Cheong Wa Dae conflicts would intensify, compounded by the merger issue with the Rebuilding Korea Party. Since Representative Jung’s election in August of last year, tensions have escalated over various bills and government policies. Recently, President Lee emphasized the need for the prosecution’s right to supplementary investigations as an indictment agency in exceptional cases, but the Democratic Party, led by Representative Jung and hardliners, established a party line opposing it. A pro-Myung Democratic Party member stated, “President Lee’s displeasure over the special counsel recommendation is a warning message to the Jung Chung-rae leadership, given his growing frustration over multiple issues.”
