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Author Ryu Si-min delivers introductory remarks during a book talk event held at the Pyeongsan Books booth at the Seoul International Book Fair inside COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on the 25th.

Author Ryu Si-min’s so-called "extension theory" remarks are acting as a catalyst that stimulates internal rifts within the Democratic Party (DP), with signs showing that factional confrontations are intensifying once again. Following the resignation of former Representative Jung Cheong-rae, voices warning against antagonism had continued within the party, yet the embers of conflict, which had subsided for a while, appear to be flared up once more. With the August 17 national convention mere 50 or so days away, analyses also emerge indicating that a "Second World War" between the pro-Lee (Lee Jae-myung) and pro-Jung (Jung Cheong-rae) factions could materialize.

According to political circles on the 28th, remarks made by Author Ryu during a YouTube broadcast on the 26th, targeting President Lee Jae-myung, are yielding significant repercussions within the DP. Author Ryu stated, "What the people who protected and cheered for President Lee during his process of becoming president wanted was an extension. The President seemed to have wanted to pursue a complete reconstruction," adding, "I wonder if his self-confidence was perhaps excessive."

Here, the "extension" is interpreted to signify a method of state administration that expands the party's outer boundaries based on the legitimacy of the democratic and reformist camp. Conversely, "reconstruction" is construed as an attempt to reshape the political landscape in a manner distinct from the expectations of the existing core support base. Ultimately, Author Ryu’s remarks are being accepted as an indirect criticism of President Lee’s state administration stance, which seeks moderate and conservative expansion by prioritizing inclusion and integration.

Particularly within the party, assessments also surface noting that Author Ryu’s "extension theory," which emphasized the legitimacy of the democratic and reformist camp, aligns closely with the political line of former Representative Jung. Under circumstances where nerve warfare between factions is sharpening ahead of the national convention, such interpretations could act as a factor fueling the conflict between the pro-Jung and pro-Lee factions.

Prime Minister Kim Min-seok pointed out the previous day, targeting Author Ryu’s remarks, "There are cases where individuals criticize the president with a sense of self-confidence that they somehow created a certain president, but there is a need for attitude and mindset to be restrained." On the same day, Representative Song Young-gil also stated, "The core support base is those who protect the president by gathering strength without wavering, especially when times are difficult." This refuted Author Ryu’s assertion, which cited the "departure of the core support base" as one of the reasons for the recent decline in President Lee’s approval ratings.

Former Representative Jung actively moved to extinguish the fire for the time being, seemingly conscious of the internal party conflict that could be sparked by Author Ryu’s remarks. He stated on his Facebook on this day, "The DP won when united and lost when divided. Let us reflect upon President Lee Jae-myung’s spirit of restraining the powerful and helping the weak, alongside grand unity," adding, "We must discard the language of division and instead require comradely language and consideration."

Voices of concern also emerge from both inside and outside the party that this controversy will not end as a one-time episode but will instead become a seed of enduring conflict. An official from the ruling bloc remarked, "Author Ryu’s remarks touched upon sensitive points surrounding the upcoming party leadership structure and the party-government relations in the second year of the Lee Jae-myung administration," emphasizing, "As the national convention draws closer, the debate over ideological lines and power realignment within the ruling bloc cannot help but grow significantly harsher."

                                                                                                            Kim Dong-min