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DP elects new floor leader and Supreme Council members

Published: 11 Jan. 2026, 22:30 Updated: 12 Jan. 2026, 18:20

From left: Reps. Kang Deuk-gu, Lee Sung-yoon, Lee Geon-tae and Moon Jeong-bog, the nominees, are seen at the by-election for the Supreme Council members of the Democratic Party at the National Assembly on Jan. 11. [JANG JIN-YOUNG]

Han Byung-do, a three-term lawmaker, was elected floor leader of the ruling Democratic Party (DP) on Sunday.

The DP held a by-election at the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul, on Sunday afternoon. The election followed the resignation of Kim Byung-gi, the former floor leader, amid allegations that he mistreated aides and tolerated illegal campaign donations during candidate nominations. Han will serve out the remainder of Kim’s term, which runs for about four months through mid-May.

Reps. Kang Deuk-gu, Lee Sung-yoon and Moon Jeong-bog were also elected as the DP's new Supreme Council members.

With one lawmaker aligned with President Lee Jae Myung and two aligned with party leader Jung Chung-rae joining the Supreme Council, observers say the dominant bloc has further consolidated its influence.

Kang is a two-term lawmaker representing Anyang’s Manan District in Gyeonggi; Lee Sung-yoon is a first-term lawmaker representing Jeonju B in North Jeolla; and Moon is a two-term lawmaker representing Siheung A in Gyeonggi.

Rep. Lee Geon-tae, a first-term lawmaker representing Bucheon C in Gyeonggi and classified as pro-President Lee, was eliminated after ranking last.

Kang, who previously served three terms on the Gyeonggi provincial council as its speaker before entering the National Assembly, is considered another key pro-President Lee figure, having served as senior deputy secretary general under the president when he was party leader. Kang is also seen as someone with a hard-line approach to confronting the opposition.

Kang Deuk-gu, left, Lee Sung-yoon, center, and Moon Jeong-bog are elected as Supreme Council members of the Democratic Party at the National Assembly on Jan. 11. [JANG JIN-YOUNG]

Lee Sung-yoon, who served as chief prosecutor of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office under the Moon Jae-in administration, clashed with then-Prosecutor General Yoon Suk Yeol and has since been dubbed a “Yoon Suk Yeol sniper.” He is regarded as a core pro-Jung figure, having headed the party’s legal affairs committee under Jung’s leadership.

Moon, also seen as aligned with Jung, is a grassroots politician who has worked as a campaign staffer and aide, served on the Siheung city council, worked as a Blue House administrator and previously acted as deputy secretary general for organization under Jung.

The by-election took place to fill vacancies left by former Supreme Council members Kim Byung-joo, Jeon Hyun-heui and Han Jun-ho, who stepped down to run in local elections. The new members will serve through August.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY BAE JAE-SUNG [[email protected]]