Chungcheong - Former leader of South Korea's main opposition Democratic Party (DP), Rep. Lee Jae-myung, has claimed victories in the latest round of party leadership primaries held in the North and South Chungcheong provinces, as he pursues a second term at the helm.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Lee secured 88.9 percent of the vote in North Chungcheong, decisively outpacing former Interior Minister Kim Doo-gwan, who garnered 9.6 percent. Similarly, in South Chungcheong, Lee captured 88.8 percent of the vote among registered DP members. These results contribute to Lee's commanding lead in the party's ongoing 15-leg race across the country, where he has so far amassed 90.4 percent of the votes from the first nine primaries.
The Democratic Party is set to select its new leader at a national convention scheduled for August 18, using a combination of primary results, a survey of the general public, and online polling of party representatives. Despite being implicated in various scandals, including a significant land development issue in Seongnam, Lee remains a prominent figure in the party and a likely candidate for the 2027 presidential election.