"Non-mainstream"
It has been just a few years since President Lee Jae-myung stood at the center of politics in Yeouido. When he first became a presidential candidate, the only organizations that received attention were the Seongnam-Geonggi line and the group of seven. Even when he entered the National Assembly through a by-election in Incheon Gyeongyang in May 2022 after losing in the 20th presidential election, he was referred to as a "fringe person." This implies that there weren't many incumbent lawmakers who could be called his close associates. It was only after he became the party leader that a new pro-Lee Jae-myung faction was established on the central political stage, and he took control of the party after the 22nd general election and a re-election for the party leadership. Thus, there are various factions among his close associates.
◇The four from Seongnam-Geonggi line
The people who have supported President Lee from the closest distance are the "Seongnam-Geonggi line." They are the ones who made the current Lee Jae-myung. Among them, the one most considered a close associate is Kim Hyun-ji, an aide to Lee Jae-myung. Their relationship has lasted 27 years, but not much is known in the media. The evaluations of aides and party officials who have been with the party for a long time vary: "a shadow seen only in the (National Assembly) cafeteria" and "a powerful figure who changes schedules after one-on-one meetings with the candidate." The first connection was made when Lee, then a lawyer, established the "Seongnam Citizens' Association" in 1995 and served as its secretary general.
Former Party Representative Office Political Affairs Deputy Director Kim Nam-jun is referred to as "Lee Jae-myung's mouth." He is a former aide from the Seongnam area. He served as a spokesperson for Seongnam City Hall, media secretary for the Governor of Gyeonggi Province, and chief aide to a lawmaker before taking on the role of spokesperson for the 2022 presidential primary camp. He is also a relatively well-known figure compared to Kim Hyun-ji. There is a story where President Lee mentioned the former deputy director in response to the question, "Who should I ask about the representative's intentions?" He has been in charge of overall scheduling that only the closest aides can access and served as the head of the scheduling team in the election camp.
There are also "two tops" who are unable to participate in official activities. Jeong Jin-sang, the former head of the party's political coordination office, and Kim Yong, the former vice president of the Democratic Research Institute. Jeong is known as the mastermind behind the "unsuccessful candidate" nominations during the last general election. Although he is considered an irreplaceable "profound confidant," he cannot officially participate due to a court decision regarding housing restrictions related to the Daejang-dong development corruption case. Kim, who President Lee said is "like my own avatar," is also imprisoned due to the Daejang-dong case. He has previously served as spokesperson for the Governor of Gyeonggi province, spokesperson for Gyeonggi Provincial Office, and co-deputy head of the election camp for the 20th presidential election.
The prominent figure 강위원, the permanent adviser of the Democratic Party of Korea's National Innovation Council, noted as the "Lee Jae-myung loyal organization," is also noteworthy. He is an outside figure who served as the 5th president of the Korean College Student Council Federation (한총련). This group is different from the mainstream faction centered on the National Student Representatives Council (전대협). During President Lee’s time as governor of Gyeonggi, he led the Gyeonggi Agricultural and Marine Products Promotion Agency, which is an organization under Gyeonggi Province, and served as the overall schedule manager in the campaign during the 2022 presidential election. In the previous general election, he organized systematic pressure on the current faction's members, showcasing a strong presence as a powerful outside organization.
◇The original pro-Lee Jae-myung group, the seven
When President Lee first challenged for the presidency in 2017, the pro-Moon Jae-in faction dominated the party. At that time, politician Lee Jae-myung was considered the "non-mainstream of non-mainstreams." He engaged in debates with candidate Moon Jae-in during the primary process and suffered tremendous attacks from Moon's supporters. Even up to the 2022 presidential election, there was a movement among strong Moon supporters that proclaimed, "Out with Lee Jae-myung, in with Yoon Seok-youl." This suggests that the support for the incumbent group was weak, and only a few lawmakers could be called his original close associates.
Among the current and former lawmakers, there are the seven (Kim Young-jin, Moon Jin-seok, Jeong Seong-ho, Kim Byeong-wook, Kim Nam-guk, Lee Gyu-min, Lim Jong-seong) who make up the "original pro-Lee Jae-myung" group, which has been supportive since the 2017 presidential election. Among them, Congressman Kim Young-jin served as the head of the election situation team during the last election and now holds the position of political affairs director. He is a junior at Chung-Ang University to President Lee and is often mentioned first in various personnel scenarios, including cabinet compositions.
Congressman Jeong Seong-ho, the head of the election committee, is a fellow trainee from law school. He has built a relationship of trust where he can speak candidly about issues that might make the strong support base uncomfortable during Lee Jae-myung's party leadership. He is at the center of planning for the Lee Jae-myung Cabinet and presidential office personnel. Congressman Moon Jin-seok, who is a businessman and the chairman of the Chungnam Provincial Party, is also from the 82nd class of Chung-Ang University. They share the commonality of having spent a "poor childhood" in Seongnam, which is President Lee's political hometown.
Kim Nam-guk, the former lawmaker who left the party due to speculation surrounding coin investments, is also regarded as an original close associate. He returned as the political affairs deputy director of the election camp. He is also from the "Chung-Ang line." Kim Byeong-wook, who entered politics through the Son Hak-kyu faction, is a financial expert who served two terms. When former Representative Son left the party, Kim chose to remain and later connected with Lee Jae-myung, then the mayor of Seongnam. Although he is an outside figure, he assisted in formulating the economic policy campaign promises through the party's special committee.
Lee Han-joo, the head of the Democratic Research Institute, who designed the "Lee Jae-myung basic income," has been connected to the Seongnam citizen movement for over 30 years. His works include the 2010 Seongnam City moratorium declaration, free school uniforms, and youth dividends. In this election, he served as the co-head of the policy headquarters in the election camp, designing policies reflective of Lee Jae-myung.
◇The rise of the new pro-Lee Jae-myung faction in the second term of Lee Jae-myung
The Democratic Party has effectively become a giant "Lee Jae-myung camp" ahead of the 21st general election. Aside from a tiny minority of pro-Moon Jae-in factions, many from the non-mainstream faction were eliminated from nominations while many outside figures claiming to be pro-Lee succeeded in obtaining nominations thanks to the support of the strong supporters. Unlike typical presidential candidates, the Democratic Party did not feel the need to create external organizations for this election. In particular, by leading the party as the leader twice, he solidified not only the personnel but also the party constitution, making the organization itself optimal for President Lee. It has rather separated into a structure of "real pro-Lee vs new pro-Lee."
The main candidate is Park Chan-dae, the floor leader. During the floor leader election in April of last year, then-President Lee Jae-myung invited him to his YouTube channel's live broadcast and praised him by saying, "You are working hard" and "You are our candidate who serves the public well." This led to the widespread belief that "Lee Jae-myung appointed him directly." Ultimately, most lawmakers who were preparing to run for the post announced their withdrawal, making him the first-ever "sole candidate" in the history of the Democratic Party.
Kim Min-seok, the representative figure of the 86 student movement, is also a key person. Shortly after then-President Lee Jae-myung said, "Why are Kim Min-seok's votes so low?" during the Supreme Council election, the rate of votes he received from local tours increased significantly, catapulting him to first place. Congressman Cheon Jun-ho, who served as secretary to the party leader and head of strategic planning, spokesperson Jo Seung-rae, and election camp comprehensive situation director Kang Hoon are also figures from the new pro-Lee group. Each entered politics through different factions: Park Won-soon group, Jeong Se-kyun group, and Son Hak-kyu group, respectively. President Lee himself also gained support from former party leader Lee Hae-chan to take control of the party, which indicates that he absorbed various factions.
Many among them are likely to be appointed as either the Presidential Chief of Staff or in senior Ministerial positions within the Lee Jae-myung government. They are also mentioned as candidates for National Assembly Speaker and the floor leader. The Democratic Party will conduct the floor leader election this mid-month. As the leadership of the ruling party immediately after the new government launches, the president's intentions are bound to be reflected significantly. A key figure in the election camp stated, "If a specific individual's appointment rumor reaches the elected person's ears, that person will be deemed 'out'" and added, "The atmosphere is one of caution regarding the names that come up as potential appointees, as the more one hopes for a position, the more they need to be careful about being discussed."