Kim Min-seok clashes with party rivals over prescription dispute ahead of Democratic Party convention

Former South Korean prime minister Kim Min-seok faced criticism from former Democratic Party leader Jeong Cheong-rae for missing the parliamentary vote to lift the 12·3 emergency martial‑law suspension, citing that he took a cold‑medicine and slept. Jeong questioned the drug’s ingredients, prompting Kim to display the prescription and allege that continual attacks were akin to the Daechang‑dong prosecutor scandal.

The exchange occurred as the Democratic Party prepares for its 8·17 national convention, where internal factions are debating a preference‑voting system, youth leadership structures and the removal of dual party memberships. Kim accused party officials of delaying the abolition of the prosecutor’s supplementary investigation authority, while Jeong and other candidates exchanged accusations of spreading false statements. The dispute highlights the intensifying rivalry among candidates vying for the party’s presidential nomination and broader leadership positions.