Lee Jae-myung resigned as leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea to run for the party leader again at a national convention scheduled for August 18. With Lee’s resignation, Democratic Party floor leader Park Chan-dae will serve as the acting party leader until the convention.
“I have resigned from my position as the leader of the Democratic Party after the supreme council meeting ended just now,” Lee told reporters on June 24. “In the face of this huge crisis the people and this nation are confronting, I will deeply consider the path that the Democratic Party and I, Lee Jae-myung, should take,” he added, noting that he would decide his future course of action soon.
The Democratic Party will hold a national convention to elect its new leader in August. According to the Democratic Party’s constitution, candidates for party leader, supreme council member, and national chairperson must resign from all leadership to register as a candidate. When asked about the possibility of seeking re-election, Lee said, “If I hadn’t decided to run for another term, I probably would not have resigned today.”
If Lee is re-elected, it would mark the first time since the Millennium Democratic Party in 2000 that the same leader has served consecutive terms.
