Kim Min-seok, a candidate for the leadership of the Democratic Party, continued his winning streak by securing a majority of votes in Honam, a region expected to influence the party convention. This victory significantly widened his lead over Jeong Cheong-rae, with the gap between the two candidates previously at just 1.48 percentage points before the regional primary.
On August 15, So Byeong-hoon, head of the party's central election management committee, announced the results at a joint candidate presentation held at Wonkwang University in Iksan, Jeonbuk. Kim received a total of 139,307 votes, surpassing Jeong, who garnered 79,033 votes. Song Young-gil received 23,749 votes.
Regionally, in Gwangju, Kim achieved 57.04% (86,558 votes), while Jeong received 31.84% (48,324 votes), and Song obtained 11.12% (16,874 votes). In Jeonbuk, Kim secured 58.39% (52,749 votes), Jeong 34.00% (30,709 votes), and Song 7.61% (6,875 votes).
Before the vote counting, the candidates emphasized their connections to the region and referenced the late former President Kim Dae-jung, a symbol of Honam politics, to rally support. Kim stated, "I worked as the secretary to the president when Kim Dae-jung was in office 20 years ago. The Honam AI Mega Project is my dream and a historic opportunity for President Lee Jae-myung, and I will ensure its success." He added, "With President Lee's firm commitment to the development of Jeonbuk, I will independently create a mega plan for the region and become Mr. Saemangeum."
Jeong introduced himself by saying, "I am the son-in-law of Honam, as my wife's family is from Gangjin, Jeollanam-do, and my mother was born in Jeonbuk." He noted, "Thanks to the internet established by President Kim, we became an internet powerhouse, and with a cultural policy of support without interference, we became a cultural nation represented by BTS. The convergence of President Kim's internet and President Lee's AI presents a golden opportunity for the rise of our nation." Jeong asserted, "Once betrayed, one will betray again. I am confident that I, Jeong Cheong-rae, will remain loyal to President Lee until the end."
Song appealed, saying, "Please hold the hand of a son of Honam. I will become the new center of Honam politics, following President Kim." He emphasized his experience, stating, "I was the first young blood recruited by President Kim, served as a secretary to the late President Roh Moo-hyun, and was the head of the campaign committee for former President Moon Jae-in. Who are the roots of the Democratic Party?" He also declared, "With the end of prosecutorial reform, Jeong is no longer needed; we must now start judicial reform, and I will lead that effort."
Meanwhile, the Democratic Party will conduct a regional primary in Seoul and Gyeonggi on August 16, followed by a party convention in Daejeon on August 17 to establish a new leadership. The final election results for the party leader will reflect 70% of votes from party members and 30% from public opinion polls.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.