Democratic Party convention: Song Young-gil the biggest winner; Jung Chung-rae criticized for missing the government's top priority

He noted that aides of Jung Won-ho, who ran for Seoul mayor this time, also came from his office, saying everyone except himself had done well. He expressed pride in seeing his former aides active in their respective roles.

Kim Yong-min recalled that he and Choi Min-hee, a candidate, had worked together for a long time on a podcast, when things were fun. He lamented that she had grown harsher since entering politics, saying many people say she turns strange when she gains power and returns to normal when it is gone. He voiced concern about entrusting such a person with the chief supreme council seat, and worried about how it might affect the general election two years from now.

He said Hong is fine and very sharp in ordinary times, with keen judgment, but becomes a different person once he takes a post. Kim stressed that Hong is sound while a free-roaming elder statesman, but changes the moment he puts on the armband, and critically analyzed how a title affects a person.

But he said it was unclear what such intense competition was for. He said he understood the contest over who owns power, but no concrete blueprint was visible for what the winner would do with that power once in control.

He said that with no contest of visions, past stories kept repeating, and references to the 1997 Kim Dae-jung and 2002 Roh Moo-hyun episodes were hard for younger generations to follow. He added that this showed a party stuck in the past rather than the present.

Park Won-seok analyzed that both sides in the Democratic Party convention were using a 'back-to-the-wall' tactic. He explained that candidate Kim Min-seok ran with the fate of the Lee Jae-myung government's downfall or survival at stake, and that candidate Jung Chung-rae judged that his political life would end if he failed this time. He stressed that this situation made a graceful concession and a grand unity narrative hard to produce, suggesting the candidates were each staking their political lives on the race.

Park Won-seok expressed surprise that Jung Chung-rae has kept the same 'version' of himself as ten years ago. He said consistency is a virtue for a politician, but if someone has not changed at all over more than a decade, that is a problem. As a four-term lawmaker who had also served as party leader, and a leading Democratic Party politician, he voiced disappointment that nothing seemed different from before in the convention race, suggesting limits to his leadership as the ruling party's leader.

He said Jung is neither incompetent nor dull, but does not have the unity and dialogue a ruling party leader needs. He stressed that if Jung refuses even to shake hands with the opposition leader, the room for running state affairs would narrow greatly, and explained that this is why even within the Democratic Party some say 'this round doesn't seem to be his.' He added that Jung calls only for clear-cut reform without offering concrete alternatives.

He recalled the depth of their past ties, raising curiosity about their current relationship. This served as background for Kim Yong-min's later assessment of Jung.

He said that when Joo, then chief supreme council member, kept criticizing party leader Moon, Jung stepped in on Moon's behalf, objecting and rebutting Joo on the spot, and in the process an intimidating remark came out. This suggested that Jung's hardline speaking style arose from that particular political situation.

He explained that after being summoned to various places, he eventually went down to Gunsan, where he met Kim Min-seok. This shows their relationship was formed amid political hardship.

He emphasized that Song succeeded in highlighting his presence and drawing public attention through the debates.

He explained that when one has ambitions, one censors oneself, but Song spoke bluntly without such restraint and added humor, which raised his favorability. This suggests Song approached the public with a more relaxed and candid image than before.

He said Song had not been a likable politician before, but showed an impressive change this time. He added that Song's attitude toward the press had been rough in the past, but after meeting and speaking with him on recent broadcasts, he found Song much more flexible. This suggests Song has changed his way of communicating with the public.

He noted that various content has been made from him, including people doing impressions of Song's voice. He also explained that occasional gestures, such as biting into an onion like an apple while conscious of the camera, spark interest among YouTube viewers, stressing that Song is adapting well to the new media environment.

He said that although Song failed to win the party leadership, the public recognition, favorability, and political standing he gained along the way were very large, stressing that he was the real biggest winner.

He explained that the question left a deep impression on many and became an important turning point in the contest. This comment stresses the impact of the question and its effect on Jung Chung-rae.

He said that although Jung attended the presentation of the Lee Jae-myung government's policy priorities as the ruling party's leader, not knowing about the 'inclusion of the preamble in the constitution,' a matter of public interest, shows he is not focused on running state affairs and is absorbed in his own thinking. He added that this shows Jung's attention centers on himself rather than on the party's shared goals.

He noted that Jung himself regards the 'Ddanji message board' as a barometer of public sentiment, and explained that because the board's first priority is 'purging the insurrection,' Jung naturally raised that topic. This suggested that Jung became excessively absorbed in the opinions of a particular community, leading him not to recognize the party's official policy priorities.