Three candidates for the leadership of the Democratic Party of Korea headed to the Ho-nam region on August 7. While voting is ongoing in Daegu and Gyeongbuk during the second week of the party convention, they appear to be concentrating on the third week, known as 'Golden Week,' where the election outcome is expected to be determined. All three candidates are hopeful for significant support in Ho-nam.
Candidate Kim Min-seok is touring the Jeonnam-Gwangju area, including Mokpo and Haenam. Jeonnam-Gwangju is a key location for President Lee Jae-myung's three major mega-projects aimed at promoting local-led growth. Kim argues that he should become party leader to ensure the success of these projects, having worked alongside President Lee. He currently believes he can secure a majority of votes in Ho-nam.
Candidate Jung Cheong-rae is focusing his campaign in Jeonbuk. He is appealing for support by highlighting that Jeonbuk has been neglected compared to Jeonnam-Gwangju, where the mega-projects are being implemented. Former Jeonbuk Governor Lee Won-taek is also aligned with Jung's faction within the party. Jung stated, "Ho-nam will turn around completely. The support from Ho-nam is not confined to the National Assembly offices," emphasizing that grassroots momentum can overcome organizational challenges.
Candidate Song Young-gil has concentrated his schedule this week in Jeonnam-Gwangju. Excluding the TV debate held on August 5, he has met with party members in the area for four consecutive days. After achieving about 10% of the vote in the first week of the convention, Song predicts a turnaround starting with the second week of the convention in Incheon, followed by Ho-nam and the Seoul-Gyeonggi areas in the third week.
The Democratic Party's convention is expected to hinge on the support from Ho-nam and the Capital Region, where many party members reside. The party will hold its regional conventions in Ho-nam on August 15 and in Seoul-Gyeonggi on August 16. The recent focus of candidates from the Capital Region on Ho-nam can be understood in this context, as Ho-nam is considered the party's stronghold and could influence voter sentiment in the Capital Region.
Some analysts suggest that scheduling the Ho-nam and Capital Region events at the end of the convention has contributed to its success, while others argue that the second week's regions (Jeju, Incheon, Gangwon, Daegu, and Gyeongbuk) were relatively overlooked.
Notably, the TK region is a strategic area for the Democratic Party. To minimize the drawbacks of the one-person, one-vote system during the convention, a 5% weighting is applied. While the one-person, one-vote system reflects the opinions of many party members, there are concerns that minority voices may be overlooked.
Meanwhile, this party convention will implement a preferential voting system. If no candidate receives a majority of votes during the convention in Daejeon on August 17, the second-choice votes of the third-place candidate will be combined to determine the winner.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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