Democratic Party of Korea

Headquarters of the Democratic Party

Logo of the NPAD (2014–2015)

On 26 March 2014, the New Politics Alliance for Democracy[17] was founded after an independent group led by Ahn Cheol-soo, in the process of forming the New Political Vision Party, merged with the Democratic Party led by Kim Han-gil. The former Democratic Party was absorbed into the NPAD and the preparatory committee of the NPVP was dissolved. Members who supported the merger joined the NPAD individually. Ahn and Kim became joint leaders of the new party.[18] When the party performed poorly in by-elections that July, both leaders stepped down. The leadership of the party was then assumed by an emergency committee.[19]

On 7 February 2015, a party convention elected Moon Jae-in as the new chairman of the party.[20] Moon, who had previously served as chief of staff for former president Roh Moo-hyun,[20] was the leader of the party's "pro-Roh" faction, which was opposed to Ahn and Kim. Moon came under fire for imposing a "pro-Roh hegemony" in the party, as Ahn and Kim were jeered and harassed at a memorial service for Roh held in May 2015.[21]

As the factional conflict intensified, the party lost support, falling from around 40 to 30 percent in opinion polls.[22] A survey conducted on 12–14 November 2015, showed that supporters of the party wanted Ahn and Seoul mayor Park Won-soon to assume the leadership alongside Moon.[23] On 29 November, Ahn rejected a proposal from Moon to establish joint leadership[24] and presented Moon with a demand to call a convention to elect a new party leader. Moon rejected his demand,[25] and Ahn left the party.[26]

Ahn was followed by a number of NPAD assembly members, including his former co-leader Kim Han-gil[27][28] and Kwon Rho-kap, a former aide of President Kim Dae-jung from the party's stronghold of Honam.[29] Ahn and Kim merged their groups with that of another defector from the NPAD, Chun Jung-bae, to form the People Party.[30]

Following the defections, the NPAD was renamed the Democratic Party of Korea on 27 December 2015, and Moon resigned as party leader on 27 January 2016.[31] Kim Chong-in, an academic and former assemblyman who served as an economic advisor to President Park Geun-hye, was appointed party leader.[32][33] Kim was seen as an unexpected choice, as he had previously worked for the conservative Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo administrations in the 1980s,[34] serving as an assembly member for the ruling Democratic Justice Party and as health and welfare minister.[35]

Kim Chong-in viewed the pro-Roh Moo-hyun faction and what he considered the extremist wing of the party as responsible for the party's troubles and pledged to diminish their influence.[36]

In the lead-up to the 2016 legislative election, he deselected Lee Hae-chan, who had been Prime Minister under Roh and was now chairman of the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation, as a candidate.[37] Lee left the party in response.[36] Many of Kim's nominations for the party's list were rejected by the rest of the party leadership, while favored candidates of Moon were ranked near the top of the approved list. Kim offered to resign in March but stayed on as leader after a visit from Moon.[38] Kim stated that he would continue to attempt to change the party's image, saying that the events had shown the party was "still unable to move on from its old ways".[32]

Though losing votes to the People's Party formed by Ahn, Chun, and Kim Han-gil—particularly in Honam[22]—the party emerged as the overall winner of the election, receiving a plurality of seats (123 seats) in the National Assembly with a margin of one seat over the Saenuri Party. Lee Hae-chan returned to the Assembly as an independent, representing Sejong City. Following its electoral victory, Kim announced that the Democratic Party would shift its focus from welfare to economic growth and structural reform. Kim stated that the party would also change its position to support the establishment of for-profit hospitals, in contrast to the party's earlier opposition to the policy.[39]

After the constitutional court impeached President Park Geun-hye for bribery, the Democratic Party's Moon Jae-in won the presidential election with 41.1% of the vote, with Hong Joon-pyo of Liberty Korea coming in second with 24%.

On 15 April 2020, the Democratic Party and its allies won an absolute majority with 180 seats in the 300-member National Assembly. The main opposition United Future Party (UFP) won 103 seats.[40]

On 9 March 2021, Lee Nak-yon resigned as the leader of the Democratic Party of Korea to run for president in the 2022 South Korean presidential election.[41]

Following the major losses in the 2021 by-elections, the party leadership was reorganized.[42] Do Jong-hwan became the interim party president.[42]

In October 2021, the Democratic Party nominated Lee Jae-myung as its nominee in the 2022 presidential election over other contenders such as former Democratic Party leaders Lee Nak-yon and Choo Mi-ae. Lee ultimately lost the election with 47.83% of the vote.[43]

After a short non-captain system, Lee Jae-myung was elected as the party representative with 77% of the vote. After being elected as the party leader, the party held a rally to condemn the prosecution's investigation into the party leader. The motion to arrest the party leader was rejected by a narrow margin.[1] A faction friendly to Lee Jae-myung (친명) and a neutral faction (비명) were at odds over the agenda for the party representative's arrest motion. The pro-Lee Jae-myung faction argued that the party leader won nearly 80% of the party's vote and that the opinion polls of the party's supporters overwhelmingly support the rejection of the arrest motion. At the same time, he criticized non-Lee Jae-myeong-gye lawmakers who agreed to the arrest motion. Non-Lee Jae-myung lawmakers insisted that the party and the representative's problems be separated and responded to, and argued that the party's overall approval rating was falling because of the party's representative.[44]

The "Gaeddal (개딸)" short for "Gaehyeok Ui Ddaleul (개혁의 딸들, meaning 'daughters of the reformation')," younger party members with a strong propensity to support Lee Jae-myeong, put pressure on lawmakers who seemed to have opposed the motion for Lee Jae-myeong's arrest. Regarding this, the party representative Lee Jae-myung requested restraint.[45]

The current party constitutional reflect 70% of the views of the central committee and 30% of public opinion polls in the party representative primary, in which delegates participate. In the competition for candidates for the Supreme Council, 100% of the decisions are made by the Central Committee. In the main contest, the final winner is determined by reflecting 30% of the delegates, 40% of the general party members (권리당원) (members of the right party who pay 1,000 won), 25% of the public opinion poll, and 5% of the public opinion poll of general party members (regular party members). In response, the Democratic Party's Innovation Committee tried to adjust the way to determine the party representative and supreme council candidates by using 100% of the party's general party members to determine 20% of the delegates, 50% of the general party members, and 30% of the public opinion polls in the main competition. This was opposed by the non-Lee Jae-myung faction as a rule in favor of Lee Jae-myung, who is gaining great support from the general party membership.[46]

Lee Jae-myung excluded some of his aides from the composition of the party and brought a large number of lawmakers who were critical of him into the leadership. This is interpreted as being for "reconciliation."[47]

Park Kwang-on was elected as the floor leader of the Democratic Party with the support of a majority of lawmakers in the first round of voting. Rep. Park Kwang-on is classified as a non-Lee Jae-myun (비명) who takes a neutral or critical stance against Lee Jae-myung.[48]

Rep. Kim Nam-guk withdrew from the party due to the controversy over possession of virtual currency. Rep. Kim is considered a pro-Lee Jae-myung faction, and the incident has dealt a blow to the leadership of the party representative.[49]

The party tried to appoint Lee Rae-kyung, a left-wing nationalist, as the chairman of the innovation committee, but withdrew the appointment in the face of internal moderates and external opposition. Kim Eun-kyung became the successor innovation chairperson. He was criticized by moderates in the party for his favorable attitude towards Lee.[50]

The party also takes a strong opposition to Discharge of radioactive water of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant and criticizes the Yoon Suk Yeol government, saying that the government does not take a clear opposition position and instead seems to advocate for discharge.[51]

A motion to arrest the party leader was issued on September 22, and the Democratic Party leadership defined it as political oppression.

Initially, it was predicted that the detention motion would be rejected, but it was passed with more than 30 rebel votes within the Democratic Party. The pro-Lee Jae-myung faction criticized the non-Lee Jae-myung faction for colluding with the prosecutors of the Yoon Seok-yeol government and pushing ahead with the passage that most of the party's supporters opposed. Representatives of the non-Lee Jae-myung/anti-Lee Jae-myung faction criticized Lee Jae-myung for not protecting Lee Sang-sang and for not protecting the Captain Hussa itself[52]

According to a public opinion poll released later, in a public opinion poll of the public, 44.6% of respondents agreed with the passage of the arrest motion, while 45.1% of respondents opposed it. If limited to Democratic Party supporters, 83.2% were negative about passing the arrest motion.[53]

Afterwards, most of the key party officials resigned in order to reform the party.

On September 23, 2023, Representative Lee Jae-myung broke off his fast that had lasted for 24 days, demanding a reform of the government and the resignation of the entire cabinet.[54] Rep. Hong Ik-pyo was elected as the party's new floor leader. All four candidates running in the floor leader election took a friendly attitude toward Lee Jae-myung and criticized the prosecution. However, Representative Hong Ik-pyo belongs to the most moderate faction among them and has previously participated in Lee Nak-yeon's election campaign, so he was evaluated positively by non-Lee Jae-myung faction members. Other key party positions were dominated by the pro-Lee Jae-myung faction, while the non-Lee Jae-myung faction criticized the party leader, saying he was turning the party into a sadistic party.[55]

In the Democratic Party of Korea, the overall ideology of the party changes little by little depending on which leadership is elected. In the early days, the moderate or conservative leadership was the mainstream, but as a result of progressives and conservatives competing for leadership, they gradually moved in a progressive direction.[73]

During the early days of the New Politics Alliance for Democracy, Kim Han-gil and Ahn Cheol-soo performed the duties of co-representatives. They took a tough stance in relations with North Korea and pursued harmony between selective welfare and universal welfare. Because they played the role of conservatives in the party,[74] they faced criticism from progressives inside the party for being 'center-right', and some progressives withdrew from the party. They took responsibility for the defeat in local elections and resigned as party leaders.[75] Two of them, Kim Han-gil and Ahn Cheol-soo, later joined the right-wing PPP.[76]

Afterwards, the moderate Christian-democratic Park Young-sun and the moderate Moon Hee-sang continued to serve as representatives.[77] Later, in the 2015 party leadership election, Moon Jae-in won over the conservative Park Jie-won[78] He lost to Park Ji-won in the party membership vote, but won the polls.

However, afterward, due to the party's internal investigations and opposition from the party's conservatives, the party leader Moon Jae-in resigned in 2022, and after that, Kim Chong-in's emergency committee was launched.[79] Although he was a member of the conservative faction, he insisted on economic democratization. However, he also later moved to the PPP.[80]

Afterwards, Choo Mi-ae and Lee Hae-chan continued to serve as representatives. All of them are on the progressive side of the party. Lee Hye-chan suggested a move in a progressive direction, claiming that the party is not a progressive party by international standards, and its policies are much more conservative than those of reformist parties in Europe, and that the actual party position is 'centre-right', he said.[81]

After that, moderates such as Lee Nak-yeon and Kim Tae-nyeon continued to hold the party leadership positions. However, after the progressive Lee Jae-myung was elected as the party's representative, the party moved in a progressive direction, to the dismay of the conservative factions.[82]

Lee Jae-myung, party leader. An admirer of Franklin D. Roosevelt and his New Deal policies who emerged as a progressive and anti-establishment alternative to the moderate Democrats.[85] In 2017, Lee was likened to 'South Korea's Bernie Sanders'.[86] However, after his faction entered the mainstream, it moved rapidly in a more moderate direction.[87]

• 
  Jung Chung-rae, party supreme commissioner
• 
  Park Joo-min, member of the National Assembly
• 
  Cho Jeong-sik, member of the National Assembly
• 
  Choo Mi-ae, former Minister of Justice

Social liberal[88] populists[lower-alpha 14][97] like Lee Jae-myung supports centre-left policies including New Deal-like policies.[98] The faction enjoys high support from general party members (권리당원), but not much support among the party's National Assembly and delegates (대의원). The faction centered around Lee Jae-myung is called the "pro-Myung faction" (이재명계,친명계) as a shareholder in Korea.

Historically around before 2017 Lee was described as a progressive,[99] but now after 2022 he is described as a liberal, but somewhat hard-lined.

When the "pro-Lee Jae-myung" faction started out as a minority faction in 2017, its base of support was mainly in Seongnam City.[100] Lee Jae-myeong first started a labor movement in Seongnam City, which opened the beginning of the faction. He ran a 'labor law firm' and helped defend workers. Based on this experience, he began political activities and faction-building in the community.[101] While serving as mayor, he implemented radical progressive policies such as providing universal basic income for young people, free school uniforms, and expanding social welfare programs such as free postpartum care[102]

At the time, his faction included many 'moderate Social Democracy' figures like Eun Soo-mi, and many from South Korean socialist groups, such as the former South Korean Socialist Workers' Alliance.[103] During the 2017 primary, Lee Jae-myung insisted that 'don't repeat the US Democratic Party's mistake of not electing Bernie Sanders as a presidential candidate' and his political style was compared to Bernie Sanders.

However, during the 2022 presidential election, he strengthened economic liberalism arguments such as real estate deregulation, Acquisition tax relief and pro-business arguments. This trend intensified during the 2022 presidential election campaign, when Lee emphasized "centrism and civic integration".[104] During the presidential campaign, Lee spent much time meeting and gaining support from centrists and conservatives.[105][106] In presidential campaign videos, the Party's emphasis on and mentions of 'economic growth' have increased more than in 2017.[107] Some columnists of the Hankyoreh reported Lee Jae-myung as saying, "I should have shouted for reform and change, not pragmatism and integration," revealing regret for turning to a more moderate stance.[108] Also through editorials criticized Lee Jae-myung for forgetting his (liberal/progressive) "values" to win the votes of conservative voters.[109]

Lee Jae-myung is more culturally liberal than the mainstream DPK politicians. Lee Jae-myung supports passing anti-discrimination legislation,[110] and discussed this with Cha Hae-young (차해영), a member of the Mapo District Council and the first elected LGBT politician in the DPK and Korean history.[111] Lee was pro-choice and advocated expanding the rights of abortion women in medical insurance,[112] and he opposes the proposed abolition of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, proposed by the conservatives.[113] However, he did not take a clear position on the enactment of the anti-discrimination law, arguing that a 'social consensus' (사회적 합의) was needed, and occasionally took an unfriendly stance towards protesters demanding the enactment of the anti-discrimination law. His position on feminism is also somewhat ambiguous, likely due to the divisiveness of the topic within the electorate.[114][115]

Moon Jae-in, former president. He was a human rights lawyer-turned-politician who opposed the military dictatorships in the past. He challenged the presidential election in 2012, but failed, and succeeded in challenging the 2017 election again[116] After taking office, he was evaluated for carrying out liberal reform policies and made a particularly great contribution to promoting freedom of the press in South Korea.[117]

• 
  Lee Nak-yeon, former Prime Minister
• 
  Park Kwang-on,Democratic party Current floor leader
• 
  Moon Chung-in, a special advisor to Foreign Affairs and National Security
• 
  Jeon Hae-cheol Former Minister of Security Ministry.

Centrist reformism has generally dominated DPK politics.[118][83][119][120] As of April 2023, Lee Nak-yon is considered a representative centrist reformist.[83][121] The centrist reformist faction historically originated from the Donggyo-dong faction. Currently, the party's moderate reformist new force is represented by pro-Moon, but there are also members with pro-Lee Nak-yeon and pro-Jeong Sye-kyun tendencies. However, compared to the pro-Moon Jae-in faction, they are economically liberal or slightly conservative.[122] In particular, the pro-Lee Nak faction embraced some economic liberalism and drew support from the conservative wing of the party.[123]

The former president, Moon Jae-in is a liberal,and His government has been characterized by several experts as a 'centrist-liberal government'.[83] and took a culturally liberal approach to military reform, school reform, and environmental issues, but a somewhat moderate socially conservative approach to disability rights and LGBT rights.[124] He also implemented reformative economic policies like 52-hour workweek, increase of minimum wage, and regulations on housing market. Lee Nak-yeon, former Prime Minister under Moon administration, pledged to continue Moon's program, proposing "New Welfare System (신복지 체제)," which would upgrade current welfare system[125] and calling for lawmaking that would strengthen public land ownership.[126] During primary campaign, Lee gained support of some pro-Moon Assembly members[127]

The pro-Lee Nak-yeon and pro-Jeong Sye-gyun factions are largely lumped together and called the pro-Moon Jae-in faction. However, their attitudes are very different when it comes to details. In October 2021, Moon Jae-in indirectly criticized Lee Nak-yeon's refusal to contest the primary and acknowledged that Lee Jae-myung won the party representative primary.[128] President Moon also said that the 'pro-Moon Jae-in' forces and the 'pro-Lee Jae-myung' forces are "99% the same.".[129] The pro-Lee Nak-yeon faction is criticized as 'dung flies' and 'watermelons' (politicians who are different on the outside and the inside) based on the party's strong support base that shows pro-Lee Jae-myung tendencies.

Centrist reformism has generally dominated DPK politics,[130][83][131][132] but the term is rarely used among DPK politicians these days.

Park Gwang-on, a pro-Lee Nak-yeon faction, was elected as the floor leader. This means that the rightful party members and members of the National Assembly are friendly to the pro-Lee Nak-yeon faction.The pro-Lee Nak-yeon faction is receiving strong criticism from the Rights Party members (who have a strong pro-Lee Jae-myung tendency). There are also claims that the party is using delegates to overturn the public opinion of party members.[133] In fact, Jeong Un-hyeon, who was Lee Nak-yeon's key close associate and served as Lee Nak-yeon's public information chief, supported candidate Yoon Seok-yeol instead of his party's candidate Lee Jae-myeong during the presidential election. He said he would 'choose a plant president over a monster', a move that drew criticism from members of his party.[134]

Kim Jin-pyo, National Assembly Speaker. Although he is one of the most conservative members of the Democratic Party, he was elected speaker of the National Assembly with the support of a majority of members. He has been controversial in the past for his advocacy of theocracy and his claims to treat LGBT people.

• 
  Park Young-sun, former party leader
• 
  Kim Young-choon, member of the National Assembly
• 
  Yang Seung-jo, Chungcheong Governor
• 
  Kim Boo-kyum, former Prime Minister

Conservatives like Kim Jin-pyo[135][136][137][138] are socially conservative in supporting anti-abortion legislation and opposing LGBT+ rights, but support economically liberal policies such as deregulation.[139] Kim Jin-pyo was evaluated as closer to "conservatism" than "centrism" in a Korean media survey.[140] Kim introduced the 'Homosexuality Healing Movement' as one of several proposed countermeasures against the low birth rate, which was criticized by media such as the Hankyoreh, which said that he wasn't any different from the PPP.[141] Kim won the support of a majority of lawmakers in the election for speaker of the National Assembly.[142]

In addition, there are Christian democrats within the party, like former assembly member Park Young-sun. Park claimed that "I was the strongest opponent of the 300 members of the National Assembly in the past on homosexuality".[143] But as of April 2023, unlike in 2016, she has no opposition to homosexuality, and in 2021, she turned to a more moderate conservative stance, saying she supports a milder form of anti-discrimination law that adds a 'religious exception'.[144][145] Park is still skeptical about queer parades.[146]

Moderate conservatives from conservative parties, such as Kim Young-choon and Kim Boo-kyum, may be included. They joined the DPK after taking a reformist stance within the mainstream conservative party in Korea. Inside the DPK, they take a relatively conservative stance, such as opposing reform bills that include operating room CCTV installations.[147]

Conservatives in the DPK are politically at odds with left-liberal populists represented by Lee Jae-myeong and others.[148] Whenever disputes between the factions arise, conservatives demand that the pro-Lee faction voluntarily leave the party, or insist that the party can split.[149]

• 
  Park Yong-jin, member of the National Assembly
• 
  Kum Tae-seop, former lawmaker of the National Assembly
• 
  Park Ji-hyun, former co-chair of the election committee

There are several political minorities in the Democratic Party. They take a critical stance towards the party's mainstream and elite, though with little ideological coherence.[150] They are also usually the more socially progressive members of the DPK.

Classical liberals include Kum Tae-seop, an economically and culturally liberal politician. Kum Tae-seop attended the Queer Festival and urged the DPK to set up a booth at the festival.[151] However, Kum Tae-seop has left the party, and classical liberals are sparse in the DPK. Some classical liberals remain in the DPK, but they are critical of the mainstream anti-Japanese sentiment that exists within the party.[152]

Liberals like Park Ji-hyun support the rights of immigrants, and adhere to liberal feminism and cultural liberalism. Although they are left-liberals, they have relatively weak populist tendencies and are culturally liberal-to-progressive, so they frequently conflict with the allies of Lee Jae-myung.[153][154] Regarding the arrest motion,[155] she strongly criticized party leader Lee Jae-myung, saying that it was the cause of the party's decline in approval ratings. Because of this, they received petitions from party members requesting their expulsion.[156]She has criticized the US Supreme Court's decision to revoke the federal right to abortion and is an open supporter of abortion rights.[157]

People from the left-wing progressive Democratic Labor Party, such as assemblyman Park Yong-jin, voted against the DPK's budget plan, calling it a 'tax cut for the rich'.[158] However, Park has been criticised as he also insisted on reducing corporate tax.[159]

The DPK supports the expansion of fiscal expenditures to gradually increase welfare alongside elements of economic liberalism[160] and fiscal conservatism.[161] The party supports the market economy, but also values the need for state intervention in the market.[162] In 2020, the party pledged to implement a version of the Green New Deal to move South Korea towards carbon neutrality by 2050.[163]

The party takes a favorable stance on government intervention in the market, while keeping some distance from labour politics and labour movements. For this reason, the Democratic Party was classified as a "conservative liberal" party in the left-wing media.[164]

However, Lee Jae-myung supports New Deal liberalism, which is economically progressive and labor-friendly, unlike Moon Jae-in, who was a pro-Chaebol centrist. Therefore, it is actively supported by former and current executives of major labor unions in South Korea.[165] Lee Jae-myung was compared to "FDR's New Deal Coalition" because he formed a big tent political coalition based on liberalism that brought together socially conservative people (antifeminist "Dixiecrat"), reformist liberals, left-wing socially progressives, and anti-Chaebol labor activists.[166] The Democratic Party succeeded in enacting the Serious Accident Corporate Punishment Act, which emphasizes corporate responsibility for industrial accidents, overcoming opposition from the right-wing conservative camp. Noh Woong-rae, a pro-labor member of the party, criticized the Yoon Seok-yeol government's attempt to extend working hours in an interview with left-wing media, emphasizing the strengthening of union rights and the responsibility of companies for safety management. He announced that he would soon attempt to enact a yellow envelope law that would limit companies' compensation for damages to striking workers.[167]

The DPK is officially rooted in the 1955 classical-liberal "Democratic Party". But the current DPK got closer to moderate Keynesian than to classical-liberal economic policy of the past.[168]

The DPK's social stances are inconsistent. The DPK is generally classified as a liberal political party, therefore should be socially liberal,[169][170][171][172] but the party is also influenced by Christian movements, so it has socially conservative character.[lower-alpha 15] The party's several candidates opposed the legalization of same-sex marriage and the homosexuality during the 2018 local elections.[175][124][176][177] At the time of the election, the Democratic Party responded to a question from the media asking whether they supported homosexuality, saying, 'We oppose homosexuality, but we are opposed to discrimination against homosexuals.’ [178]

Most Democratic lawmakers are skeptical of anti-discrimination laws that prohibit discrimination against LGBT people and immigrants, and most value 'social consensus'(사회적 합의). [179] Some members of the party's conservative faction, along with the pastor, staged a protest against the anti-discrimination law.[180] The minority progressive/liberal faction of the party attempted to raise liberal social policies, such as anti-discrimination laws, as controversial bills, but this was aborted due to opposition within the party.[181]

The DPK's Christian influences have also been criticized by other religious groups. In December 2021, the Moon Jae-in government invested 1.2 billion won (US$1,000,000) in a campaign to promote carol music in stores such as restaurants and cafes. The Buddhist community protested, calling it a policy that gives preferential treatment to a specific religion.[182]

The DPK's social conservatism on issues related to LGBT rights and feminism mainly draws from Christianity,[124] but outside of those topics the DPK demonstrates moderate-to-liberal social policy. The DPK opposes corporal punishment for children and led the complete abolition of laws that justified corporal punishment for children in the past. The DPK also supports strengthening punishments for domestic violence.[183][184]

Some members of the party's conservative faction, along with the pastor, staged a protest against the anti-discrimination law.[185] The progressive/liberal faction of the party attempted to raise pro-LGBTQ policies, such as anti-discrimination laws, as controversial bills, but this was aborted due to opposition from the conservative faction within the party.[186]</ref>However Since the inauguration of Lee Jae-myeong, the party leader from the progressive faction, the party has embraced many cultural liberalism. District council member Lee Jae-myeong, the first sexual minority member in Korea to come out, met and discussed the enactment of an anti-discrimination law.[187]Some conservative factions within the party who strongly criticized and opposed the anti-discrimination law have also withdrawn their opposition and shifted to a more moderate stance.[188][189]

Some members of the party's cultural liberal faction, including Geum Tae-seop, participated in the queer festival, and the 'Democratic Party Queer Parade Participation Group' is promoting participation in the queer festival within the party.[190] However, some media outlets have expressed opinions that this level of measures (to support sexual minorities) is insufficient and that it is more conservative than the case of Germany's Christian Democratic Union, which directly sent a booth at the party level.[191]

Many DPK politicians are friendly to the etiquette and Confucian traditions of Korean culture.[192][193] The Hankyoreh and Hankook Ilbo, South Korean socially liberal newspapers, strongly criticized the DPK for holding a discussion on the pros and cons of the anti-discrimination law and giving anti-LGBT activists the right to speak.[194][195]The Hankyoreh strongly criticized the Democratic Party for electing Kim Jin-pyo, the most hard-line social conservative faction within the party, as Speaker of the National Assembly. In a column titled 'Chairman Kim Jin-pyo's outdated hatred', the newspaper criticized Chairman Kim for showing 'conservative Christian hatred that stigmatizes homosexuality as a disease and views fellow citizens as targets of rehabilitation.'[196]

The DPK views South Korea's dog meat intake culture negatively and has criticized it from a liberal perspective. President Moon Jae-in said he was considering a legal ban on dog meat in September 2021.[197] In addition, the DPK supports reforms on student rights issues.[198]

The DPK's position on abortion is undefined. DPK proposed they will actively participate movements to prevent abortion in 2018 local election.[199]Also conservative members of the party that oppose abortion itself, including National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo, occupy key positions in the party and exert great influence[200] However, former co-representative Park Ji-hyun criticized the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling overturning abortion rights and pushed for guaranteeing abortion rights. [201] Lee Jae-myeong, the current party leader, also pledged to cover abortion rights in health insurance and is taking a more favorable stance on abortion than the past leadership[202]

Member of DPK in Gender Equality and Family Committee criticized that illegal abortion is increasing while National Assembly is hesitating to legislate alternative abortion law saying “We have to respect both babies’ and women’s life”, which is a phrase often used by pro-life supporters in Korea.[203]

The DPK takes an ambiguous position that neither supports nor opposes the abolition of the National Security Act.[204]

Most of the main politicians of the Democratic Party show neutral on immigrant issue, and factional differences are not noticeable in this regard. As immigration issue is not a main social problem in Korea as Korea is still a homogenous nation, there aren’t much discussions about immigration. The DPK says they oppose racism, but they are against the anti-discrimination law which bans discrimination against immigrants. Several DPK members showed concerns against the government’s plan to establish immigration office.[205] However, although DPK seems to be against mass immigration, they say that those who legally migrates should be completely assimilated into Korean society and those who completely assimilate should deserve equal rights with native koreans.

The DPK maintains a friendly stance with the United States, considering it as a strategic ally of South Korea.[206] However they seem to be not that much friendly on United States in reality. Lee Jae-myung, the current leader of DPK said United Sates were occupying force,[207] and said United States sold Korea to Japan for their profit when he met US senator.[208]

DPK holds the position that it doesn't need to choose between China and the United States, with the party's then candidate Lee Jae-myung stating that China is a "strategic cooperative partner" of South Korea and saying that "we must not put relations with China on the back burner as it is our largest trade partner and we can't dismiss its role".[206]

Prior to 2022, the DPK supported friendly relations with Russia, with the aim of swaying Russia to cooperate with South Korea on North Korea. The DPK condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[209] However, many DPK politicians also did not attend Zelensky's video speech to the South Korean parliament.[210] The DPK caused controversy in April 2022 by inviting a pro-Russian professor who denied the Bucha Massacre at a party forum, which was done separately from the 'official' support position for Ukraine.[211] When president Yoon Suk Yeol mentioned the possibility of providing weapons to Ukraine from South Korea on April 19, 2023, many DPK politicians criticized Yoon and said South Korea should not be hostile to Russia.[212][213]

The DPK opposes Japan's historical revisionism and is known to speak for victims of Japanese war crimes. The DPK holds very nationalistic stance against Japan.[214] Moon Jae-in said the human rights of victims are more important than relations between countries.[215] DPK says they could shoot down the Japanese military planes if they are flying hostile towards korean navy.[216] DPK politicians were criticized after calling pro-Japan opposition party as a ‘indigenous japs’[217] Recently DPK leader, Lee Jae-myung recently stated that Korea should declare a all-out war against Japan’s historical revisionism[218]

The DPK opposes Japan's remilitarization efforts and revision of its constitution for fear of repeat of the history.[219] The DPK politicians are opposed to a military alliance with Japan.[220]

The party strongly supports the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and aims for peaceful relations with North Korea. The party also officially advocates increasing exchanges and cooperation with the North to create a foundation for reunification.[221] DPK has a strong ethnic nationalistic stance, so they often emphasizes ‘one bloodline’ with North Korea, thus Korea should unite against external force.

• Note: ^ERC - as head of Emergency Response Committee

No.	Name	Photo	Term of office		Election results
			Took office	Left office
1	Co-leadership Kim Han-gil   Ahn Cheol-soo		26 March 2014	31 July 2014	No election
—	Park Young-sun (ERC)		4 August 2014	18 September 2014	Appointed
—	Moon Hee-sang (ERC)		18 September 2014	9 February 2015	Appointed
2	Moon Jae-in		9 February 2015	27 January 2016	2015 Moon Jae-in – 45.3% Park Jie-won – 41.8% Lee In-young – 12.9%
—	Kim Chong-in (ERC)		27 January 2016	27 August 2016	Appointed
3	Choo Mi-ae		27 August 2016	25 August 2018	2016 Choo Mi-ae – 54.03% Lee Jong-kul – 23.89% Kim Sang-gon – 22.08%
4	Lee Hae-chan		25 August 2018	29 August 2020	2018 Lee Hae-chan – 42.88% Song Young-gil – 30.73% Kim Jin-pyo – 26.39%
5	Lee Nak-yon		29 August 2020	9 March 2021	2020 Lee Nak-yon – 60.77% Kim Boo-kyum – 21.37% Park Joo-min – 17.85%
—	Kim Tae-nyeon (acting)		9 March 2021	8 April 2021	Succeeded
—	Do Jong-hwan (ERC)		8 April 2021	16 April 2021	Appointed
—	Yun Ho-jung (ERC)		16 April 2021	2 May 2021	Succeeded
6	Song Young-gil		2 May 2021	10 March 2022	2021 Song Young-gil – 35.60% Hong Young-pyo – 35.01% Woo Won-shik – 29.38%
—	Co-leadership Yun Ho-jung   Park Ji-hyun (ERC)		13 March 2022	7 June 2022	Appointed
—	Woo Sang-ho (acting)		7 June 2022	28 August 2022	AScceeded
7	Lee Jae-myung		28 August 2022	incumbent	2022 Lee Jae-myung – 77.77% Park Yong-jin – 22.23%