(LEAD) Rep. Lee Jae-myung to declare bid for DP chairmanship: aide

All News 14:11 July 14, 2022

(ATTN: UPDATES with info on possible bid of DP's ex-interim leader in last 3 paras; ADDS photo)

SEOUL, July 14 (Yonhap) -- Rep. Lee Jae-myung, former presidential candidate of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP), will declare his bid for the party's chairmanship on Sunday, an aide said.

The DP plans to hold a national convention on Aug. 28 to elect a new leader, and whether Lee will run for the party leadership has been a point of contention within the DP amid a power struggle between pro- and anti-Lee lawmakers.

Supporters say Lee is the right person to lead the party, while opponents argue that he should take responsibility for the party's defeat not only in March's presidential election but also in June's nationwide local elections.

While announcing his run for the contest, Lee plans to emphasize the importance of political reform and party unity, the aide said.

This July 4, 2022, file photo shows Rep. Lee Jae-myung of the main opposition Democratic Party. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)

Park Ji-hyun, a former interim leader of the party, is also expected to declare a run in the leadership election Friday, even though she is not qualified to become a candidate due to her less-than-six-month-old party membership and the party has already decided not to make an exception for her.

The 26-year-old politician, who joined the party on Feb. 14, was seen as a symbol of generational change in the DP but stepped down as the party's interim leader following its crushing defeat in last month's local elections.