The ruling party’s ‘big speaker’ is collapsing… Kim Eo-jun's 19 points…
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The ruling party’s ‘big speaker’ is collapsing… Kim Eo-jun's 19 points and the Democratic Party's internal troubles
Written on: June 22, 2026 | Column by current affairs critic specializing in IT/media
In the political landscape, the influence of certain people is like a double-edged sword. Broadcaster Kim Eo-jun, who once boasted a powerful influence by leading the unity of the progressive camp, recently received a cold report card from voters. In a public opinion poll conducted by Sisa IN and Korea Research, the ‘emotional temperature’ of 19 points he recorded was a low figure comparable to that of Chinese President Xi Jinping or far-right YouTuber Jeon Han-gil. This goes beyond a simple decline in favorability, and symbolically shows the serious cracks facing our political world and the fatigue of its supporters. We would like to find out what made the Democratic Party’s ‘Big Speaker’ stand at the center of such cold public opinion and the political implications hidden behind it.
The negative perception of Mr. Kim Eo-jun revealed in this survey is so overwhelming that it is embarrassing. 79% of all respondents evaluated him negatively, and less than 10% responded positively. What's even more surprising is that even within the Democratic Party's support base, public opinion against him exceeded the majority. The fact that even his core supporters, commonly called ‘house rabbits’, are turning their backs on him proves that the method of forming public opinion that he has led is no longer receiving public sympathy. In particular, in the case of new supporters who came in after the last presidential election, the negative response exceeded 80%, clearly revealing the difference in temperature from the existing supporters. This is a strong sign that the foundation of influence he has built is seriously shaken.
The controversy surrounding Mr. Kim Eo-jun goes beyond a simple issue of a person's likeability, and is intertwined with the power struggle within the Democratic Party. Currently, within the ruling party, the ‘pro-Cheong faction’ centered on Representative Chung Cheong-rae and the forces supporting Prime Minister Kim Min-seok are in direct conflict with the frame of ‘pro-Cheong versus pro-Seok’. Mr. Kim Eo-jun accelerated the division by blatantly revealing this conflict structure through broadcasts or making comments that seemed to support specific forces. This behavior has degenerated into a ‘slanderous war’ within the Democratic Party, with vulgar epithets such as ‘Moonjo Teolaeyu’ and ‘I hope the Han River bird will be pooped’ rampant. As a result of politicians with political responsibility being immersed in the battle of public opinion, relying on YouTubers rather than presenting alternatives, policy debate, which is the party's original function, has disappeared and only an emotional war of attrition remains.
The Democratic Party's actions after losing the local elections show a rush to 'change the problem' while ignoring the essence of the problem. Rather than analyzing the reasons for the crushing election defeat, Representatives Chung Cheong-rae and Kim Eo-jun are continuing their attempts to rally support by bringing to the fore the issue of ‘complete abolition of the right to supplementary investigation.’ This appears to be a strategic choice to strengthen internal solidarity by stimulating anti-prosecution sentiment rather than reflecting on the people's livelihood, economy, and future vision. However, this ‘closed politics centered on strong supporters’ is returning as a boomerang, accelerating the departure of moderates and ultimately hindering the Lee Jae-myung administration’s driving force in running state affairs. The people no longer want political strife confined to the framework of the past, and are demanding measures to substantially improve the quality of life.
Political analysts warn that the current competition for party leadership could lead to a division as fatal as the conflict between the ‘nanninggu’ and ‘baekbaji’ during the Uri Party’s past. The life-or-death factional fight taking place ahead of the August convention is resulting in the Democratic Party further encouraging the departure of the ‘New Lee Jae-myung’ faction that was confirmed in the last election. Despite President Lee Jae-myung's attempts to distance himself from the party leadership through press conferences, etc., the conflict within the party shows no signs of being resolved. Ultimately, if the influence of YouTubers continues to erode the autonomy of lawmakers and distort the party's decision-making structure, the Democratic Party is likely to face a fatal political crisis. Now is the time to restore leadership that communicates in the language of the people, not the language of YouTubers.
■ Conclusion and analysis outlook
Voters' cold evaluation of Mr. Kim Eo-jun is a mirror that reflects the current state of our politics. A structure in which speakers from a specific faction lead public opinion and politics are swayed accordingly is not a healthy democracy. If the Democratic Party truly wants to restore public trust and lead the Lee Jae-myung administration to success, it must stop YouTube-centered politics and restore the party's original democratic debate culture. Derogatory wars and issue switching that promote division will ultimately only bring about the cold judgment of the people. What the Democratic Party needs now is not the cheers of its extreme supporters, but true leadership of innovation and integration that can rebuild its collapsed support base and protect the lives of the people.
* This post is a commentary by PlayBBS that analyzed real-time Google Trends popular search terms and related major articles.
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