Seoul: Former Prime Minister Kim Min-seok and two former leaders of the ruling Democratic Party (DP) are set to compete for the party leadership at the upcoming national convention next month, as confirmed by a party official.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Kim, along with former DP leaders Jung Chung-rae and Song Young-gil, emerged as the top three contenders in the primary, advancing to the final stage of the leadership race. This announcement was made by So Byung-hoon, the chief of the party convention election committee. The national convention, slated for August 17, will be pivotal in electing a new leader who will oversee candidate nominations for the April 2028 parliamentary elections.
The primary round saw two other candidates, former presidential spokesperson Ko Min-jung and former Gangjin councilmember Kim Bo-mi, unable to secure a spot in the final race. The selection process for the party leadership candidates involved a weighted voting system: 35 percent of the votes came from the party's central committee members, another 35 percent from dues-paying members, and the remaining 30 percent from public opinion poll results.
Among the contenders, Jung Chung-rae, a four-term lawmaker, was anticipated to rank in the top three. Despite his popularity, Jung has faced scrutiny from party members closely associated with President Lee Jae Myung for prioritizing his hard-line supporters over broader support for the president.
Competing alongside Jung is Kim Min-seok, a prominent political ally of President Lee and the first prime minister under the current administration. Kim announced his leadership bid earlier this month, emphasizing his commitment to the Lee administration's success and proposing significant changes within the party. He highlighted the party's inability to leverage President Lee's strong public approval during the June 3 local elections, despite winning 12 out of 16 mayoral and gubernatorial seats. The DP notably lost key contests, including the Seoul mayoral race.