The ruling Democratic Party of Korea has appointed Rep. Lee Jae-myung the party chairman and former presidential candidate as head of a special committee tasked with responding to ongoing prosecution investigations and legal actions against party members on January 17, 2026. The move comes amid growing internal backlash from pro-Jung Chung-rae factions who accuse the leadership of favoritism and consolidating power around Lee while sidelining moderates.
The newly formed “Prosecution Reform and Legal Response Committee” will oversee the party’s strategy against what DPK leaders call “politically motivated” probes into lawmakers like Kim Byung-kee, Kang Sun-woo, and others implicated in bribery, favoritism, and nomination scandals. Lee’s appointment signals his direct control over the party’s legal and messaging response during a period of intense scrutiny following Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment and the DPK’s rise to power.
Pro-Jung lawmakers and some moderate voices within the party expressed private frustration, arguing that elevating Lee who faces his own past legal challenges could fuel perceptions of a Lee Jae-myung party and alienate swing voters ahead of the March by-elections and 2026 local polls. One anonymous DPK lawmaker told reporters: “It looks like we’re circling wagons around one person instead of addressing the broader ethics crisis.”
Party spokesperson Kang Sun-woo defended the decision, stating that Lee’s experience as both a target and critic of prosecutorial overreach makes him the most qualified to lead the committee. The DPK insists the panel will focus on “protecting democracy from weaponized justice” and pushing for reforms to depoliticize the prosecution.
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