Politics · South Korea · 1 hr ago
Lee Jae-myung publicly praises former aide amid Democratic Party tensions
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung publicly praised Cheon Jun-ho, a Democratic Party lawmaker who once served as Lee’s chief of staff when he led the party.
On social media, Lee thanked Cheon for standing by him through years of political and legal pressure, and said attacks from behind were the hardest to face.
Cheon was also targeted for questioning, Lee said, because of his work alongside him.
In a video Lee shared, Cheon recalled investigations and other actions against Lee during the administration of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, including a 2023 parliamentary vote to approve Lee’s arrest.
Cheon described that period as painful, including divisions within the party over the arrest vote.
The praise came as Democratic Party tensions deepened: three senior lawmakers aligned with Chung Cheong-rae skipped a leadership meeting and criticized party leader Kim Min-seok, prompting objections from lawmakers aligned with Lee.
The dispute is also tied to allegations involving the Shincheonji church and Kim’s order for an internal inquiry into lawmaker Choi Min-hee; no next steps are specified.
President Lee Jae-myung publicly praised former aide and Democratic Party lawmaker Chun Jun-ho on November 14.
Lee said Chun had stood by him during years of political and legal pressure and faced scrutiny because of his association with Lee.
Lee shared a video of Chun on the Democratic Party’s YouTube channel and urged him to continue carrying out his duties.
The message came amid escalating disputes within the Democratic Party.
Three lawmakers aligned with Jeong Cheong-rae skipped a party leadership meeting and criticized party leader Kim Min-seok, drawing objections from pro-Lee lawmakers.
- Who
- President Lee Jae-myung praised Chun Jun-ho, a Democratic Party lawmaker and former chief of staff.
- What
- Lee publicly thanked and encouraged Chun in a post on X.
- When
- November 14, 2026.
- Where
- In a post on X; the post shared a video from the Democratic Party’s YouTube channel.
- Why
- Lee said Chun had stood by him during years of political and legal pressure. The message came amid tensions within the Democratic Party.
Pro-Jeong Cheong-rae lawmakers
Pro-Lee lawmakers
Party leadership dispute
Pro-Jeong Cheong-rae lawmakers
Three pro-Jeong lawmakers skipped a leadership meeting and held a news conference criticizing Kim Min-seok.
Pro-Lee lawmakers
Pro-Lee lawmakers opposed the pro-Jeong lawmakers’ actions.
A motion to approve Lee’s arrest passed, an episode Chun later described as horrifying.
Three lawmakers aligned with Jeong Cheong-rae skipped a Democratic Party leadership meeting and criticized Kim Min-seok.
Lee shared a video featuring Chun and publicly praised him on X.
- Lee’s post
- November 14, 2026
- Former aide
- Chun Jun-ho
- Platform
- X
- Video source
- Democratic Party YouTube channel, Minty07
- Party meeting dispute
- Three pro-Jeong Cheong-rae lawmakers skipped the November 13 leadership meeting
4 sources
What people are saying
As always, the hardest thing is the arrows flying from behind.
You worked hard standing firmly by my side as chief of staff while we crossed that great and deep river of attempted murder by stabbing, attempted judicial murder through fabricated indictments, and unprecedentedly intense political oppression over the past several years.
Looking back now, it was truly a horrifying thing.
It was an extremely painful process.