Seoul: Former Prime Minister Kim Min-seok has emerged victorious in the Democratic Party (DP) primaries in the capital region, marking a significant advancement in his campaign for the ruling party's leadership. Kim garnered a total of 46.66 percent of votes from Seoul and Gyeonggi Province, while Jung Chung-rae, seeking his second consecutive term as DP leader, came in close with 46.28 percent.
According to Yonhap News Agency, former DP leader Song Young-gil lagged with 7.06 percent of the votes, placing him third in the race. Kim's recent success follows his earlier wins in several other regions, including the central Chungcheong region; Incheon and Jeju Island; Gangwon Province, Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province; as well as Gwangju and Jeolla provinces. Jung, however, managed to make his mark in Busan, Ulsan, and South Gyeongsang Province.
Kim currently heads the leadership race with a cumulative vote percentage of 49.91, leaving Jung trailing at 41.51 percent. The outcome of the leadership race is crucial, as the new leader will be responsible for overseeing the nomination of candidates for the upcoming 2028 parliamentary elections. The final decision will be made at the party's national convention scheduled for Monday.