Infighting deepens despite Jeong’s damage control

Feb 09, 2026, 08:06 am

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Jeong Cheong-rae, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, speaks at a party leadership meeting at the National Assembly in Seoul. / Photo by Lee Byung-hwa

Internal strife within the Democratic Party of Korea is intensifying despite party leader Jeong Cheong-rae’s efforts to contain a growing controversy over a possible merger with the Rebuilding Korea Party, raising concerns ahead of the June 3 local elections.

Although Jeong has moved to ease tensions by consulting lawmakers across factions, the dispute shows little sign of abating. The situation worsened after the disclosure of a confidential document outlining a potential merger timetable, fueling accusations of backroom deals and further deepening divisions within the party.

The conflict has recently spilled beyond the Democratic Party to strain relations with its allied Rebuilding Korea Party. As criticism from merger opponents intensified, discomfort also surfaced within the smaller party. With Cho Kuk demanding an official stance from the Democratic Party by Feb. 13, attention is now focused on whether merger talks will proceed before the Lunar New Year holiday.

According to political sources on Saturday, discord over a Democratic Party–Rebuilding Korea Party merger has persisted despite Jeong’s outreach to dissenting voices. Since early this month, he has held one-on-one meetings with senior party figures opposed to the merger and consulted first-term, mid-career, and veteran lawmakers in an attempt to calm tempers. He also convened closed-door talks with party leaders to gather views.

Nevertheless, resistance within the party remains strong. At a leadership meeting on Feb. 6, several top officials again called for an immediate halt to all merger-related procedures.

Tensions escalated further after a leaked internal document surfaced, detailing plans to complete merger procedures by Feb. 27 or March 3 and proposing the allocation of appointed leadership posts to the Rebuilding Korea Party in the event of a merger. Hwang Myung-sun, a senior party official, criticized the plan as “a schedule that could only be achieved through secret negotiations,” and demanded disclosure of the document’s authorship and drafting process.

The dispute has also triggered sharp exchanges directed at the Rebuilding Korea Party. Kang Deuk-gu, another senior party figure, wrote on Facebook that Cho Kuk bears clear responsibility for the current turmoil, questioning why earlier assurances that there would be no merger before the local elections had changed. Fellow leader Lee Eon-ju accused Cho of seeking to leverage the ruling party as a “host” for future presidential ambitions.

In response, Cho Kuk issued what many interpreted as an ultimatum, calling on the Democratic Party to clarify its official position by Feb. 13. Absent a public response by then, he said the merger should be considered off the table.

Political observers expect Jeong to announce a final decision after completing internal consultations scheduled through Feb. 12. He is set to listen to lawmakers’ views at a general assembly on Feb. 10, meet with second-term legislators the same day, and hold talks with senior advisers on Feb. 12.

Park Soo-hyun, the party’s chief spokesperson, said Jeong has been engaging in “deep dialogue and careful listening” with lawmakers since the merger proposal emerged. “After comprehensively gathering opinions at the upcoming lawmakers’ meeting and reflecting party members’ views, he plans to announce the party’s position on whether to pursue a merger as soon as possible,” Park said.

#Democratic Party of Korea #merger controversy #Rebuilding Korea Party #Jeong Cheong-rae #party infighting