South Korea's Democratic Party clears Song Yeong-gil and Kim Yong to run

The ruling Democratic Party of South Korea resolved a dispute over the candidacy of former lawmaker Song Yeong-gil and former research director Kim Yong. Both failed to meet the party’s “rights‑member” criteria – Song had been re‑admitted less than six months before the registration deadline and Kim had not paid the required six party dues in the past year due to a frozen account. After an initial dead‑lock in an overnight senior‑committee meeting, the party’s top committee voted to grant an exception and referred the matter to the party’s policy board (당무위원회) for final approval. The decision ended a clash between the party’s pro‑leader (친명) and pro‑former‑leader (친청) factions, allowing Song to remain a candidate for the party‑leader election and Kim to stand for a senior committee seat at the upcoming 8‑17 national convention.

The move underscores internal factional tensions as the party prepares for its leadership contest, but the procedural outcome paves the way for both individuals to participate despite the eligibility controversy.