Former interim leader Park Ji-hyun announces bid for chairmanship of DP

Politics

Published: 15 Jul. 2022, 15:46

Former interim leader Park Ji-hyun announces bid for chairmanship of DP

Park Ji-hyun, former interim leader of the Democratic Party, speaks in a press conference in front of the National Assembly on Friday. [NEWS1]

Park Ji-hyun, a 26-year-old former activist and former interim leader of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP), declared her bid for the party's chairmanship on Friday.

The announcement came as a surprise to many because Park lacks the qualifications to become chairperson, as she has not been an official member of the DP for six months.

“I decided to run for the party leadership to change the party into a competent one that can take care of people’s livelihoods and overcome crises,” said Park during a press conference.

The DP plans to hold a national convention to elect a new leader on August 28.

Park, who fought online sex crimes before entering politics, was recruited by the DP in late January to serve on Lee Jae-myung's ultimately unsuccessful presidential campaign team. She was named vice chairperson of the DP's women's affairs committee before serving as the DP’s interim leader.

Park is one of two female university students dubbed "Team Flame" who helped bring the "Nth room" criminal case to light in 2019. The "Nth room" chat rooms on the Telegram instant messaging app were used to sexually exploit young women and underage girls and and blackmail them, and became a major public scandal.

BY LIM JEONG-WON [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]