Moon Jeong-bok, a member of the Democratic Party, has resigned from his position on the Supreme Council. As a prominent member of the pro-Jeong Cheong-rae faction, his resignation raises questions about his potential support for Jeong Cheong-rae's candidacy in the upcoming party convention on August 17.
According to the Democratic Party, Moon communicated his intention to resign on August 3. He also did not attend the Supreme Council meeting held the previous day. With his departure, the Supreme Council now consists of five members, including Han Byeong-do, who is serving as acting party leader and floor leader, along with elected members Hwang Myeong-seon and Kang Deuk-gu, and appointed members Park Ji-won and Park Gyu-hwan. Hwang and Kang are aligned with the pro-Lee Jae-myung faction, while Park Ji-won and Park Gyu-hwan are associated with the pro-Jeong faction.
Meanwhile, the first week of the party convention's preliminary elections has concluded, showing a tight race between Jeong Cheong-rae and Kim Min-seok. Neither candidate has secured a majority, leading to speculation that the second-choice votes from supporters of Song Young-gil could play a crucial role.
If no candidate receives a majority of votes during the convention, the top two candidates will determine the winner through a preference voting system. Amid escalating factional tensions between the pro-Lee and pro-Jeong camps, some analysts suggest that Kim, also viewed as part of the pro-Lee faction, may benefit from the preference voting system.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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