Infighting within the ruling bloc over the nomination of Kim Ji-yong as head of the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency has shown little sign of easing, putting Democratic Party leader Kim Min-seok's leadership to the test. Kim has issued repeated warnings to hard-liners in the party who have publicly objected to President Lee Jae-myung's appointment authority, but the conflict has not subsided. With the party's approval rating also sliding, Kim faces a deepening dilemma, as taking concrete steps to restrain the hard-liners has proved difficult.
Kim appeared on "Minti 07," a program on the Democratic Party's official YouTube channel "Democratic Party TV," on the 12th and again sent a warning message to ruling-bloc hard-liners who have criticized the nomination, political sources said on the 13th. "As the logic and the targets have shifted, criticism and attacks aimed at the president or the party as a whole have continued without end," he said. "A certain amount of reasonable criticism is possible, but when it crosses the line or the method is not reasonable, that is not appropriate for gathering the energy of the whole," he said, urging restraint in public dissent.
Kim said his behind-the-scenes efforts to contain the internal conflict were reaching their limits. "I have spoken to people in various ways, either directly or through those close to them, and when I send an appropriate message publicly I sometimes hear back that they will go only so far," he said. "But many people feel that such efforts are reaching a breaking point." Referring in particular to Lim Eun-jung, head of the Gwangju regional office of the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency, who has publicly criticized the nomination, Kim said, "I get so many messages asking why on earth I am leaving this alone that I am up to my neck in them."
Kim's public pressure follows critical remarks by President Lee aimed at hard-liners in the ruling bloc. On the 9th, Lee wrote on X, formerly Twitter, "The bigger problem is those who demand big posts without the ability to fill them, try to dictate personnel decisions and even national policy, and then, when that does not work, attack from within while invoking radical reform as a righteous cause." He named no one, but the remarks were widely read as targeting hard-liners across the ruling bloc who have objected to the nomination. With the president and the party leader criticizing them in succession, the internal conflict over the appointment has grown more intense.
The problem is that the infighting has barely eased despite Kim's repeated warnings. Last month, Kim hinted at specific measures, saying, "When someone goes too far over the line, the party will point it out, and if necessary we will have no choice but to establish the party's principles and discipline, including reassignment from standing committees." Early this month, he stepped up the pressure further, saying, "It is time for the party to exercise control" and "The party will exercise control where necessary." On the 12th, however, he again stopped short of presenting concrete measures and repeated warnings instead, deepening doubts about the leadership's grip on the party.
The leadership signaled hope that the conflict would resolve itself once the confirmation hearing for the nominee, scheduled for the 14th, is over. Asked on the 13th whether the leadership would take action if dissent continued despite Kim's warning, Democratic Party spokesman Lee Yong-woo said, "The hearing is two days away, and the public has time to judge." He added, "If the hearing is completed without incident and the president makes the appointment, I think this matter will be settled."
The party's falling approval rating is also weighing on Kim. After a recent Gallup Korea survey showed Democratic Party support at its lowest level since the current government took office, a Realmeter survey released on the 13th showed the party trailing the People Power Party. In the Realmeter survey of 1,004 voters aged 18 and over nationwide conducted on the 7th and 8th, support for the Democratic Party stood at 35.5%, down 7.0 percentage points from the previous survey. The People Power Party rose 2.9 percentage points to 41.3%. The decline runs counter to the goal Kim set when he took office of raising the party's approval rating by 10 percentage points within 100 days, adding to the pressure on his leadership.
Even so, it is not easy for Kim to take strong action such as disciplinary measures against the hard-liners. Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mi-ae and lawmaker Kim Yong-min, who have objected to the nomination, are speaking out with the backing of the party's most committed supporters, raising concerns that sanctions by the leadership could instead widen internal conflict and split the base. In the case of Choo, who heads a metropolitan local government, parliamentary tools such as reassignment from standing committees cannot be applied, and party-level discipline would carry a heavy political cost. "Since she heads a metropolitan government, responding with measures such as discipline is not appropriate, which leaves the party in an awkward position," a Democratic Party leadership official said.
A parliamentary audit of Gyeonggi Province by the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee, scheduled for the 13th, has emerged as another variable. With Choo attending a parliamentary audit for the first time since taking office, and Democratic Party lawmakers signaling questions targeting the province's finances and administration, there is a possibility the ruling bloc's internal conflict will spill into the audit. The confirmation hearing for the nominee is set for the following day, the 14th, prompting speculation that the conflict over the appointment could reignite.
The Realmeter survey cited in this article has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points at a 95% confidence level, with a response rate of 2.6%. Further details are available on the website of the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission.