Kim Min-seok wins weekend with 3,086 vote difference… ‘Close margin’ trend not yet clear

The race for the Democratic Party of Korea's next party leader, to be decided at the August 17 general convention, is heating up into a tight and intense competition between Chung Chee-ra and Kim Min-seok.

Kim Min-seok won the Chungcheong region's sequential primaries on the 1st, while Chung Chee-ra took the top spot in Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongsangnam-do on the 2nd.

In the second week of sequential primaries, which included Jeju, Incheon, Gangwon-do, and Daegu-Gyeongbuk, Kim Min-seok took the lead in all, forming a trend of "Kim Min-seok's competitive superiority."

However, the cumulative vote rate difference is only 1.48 percentage points (3,086 votes), and the outcome of the election is likely to be decided by the results of the Honam and metropolitan area votes to be announced on the 15th and 16th.

The Democratic Party concluded the announcement of voting results for about 30% of all eligible voters (Chungcheong, Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam, Jeju-Incheon, Gangwon-do, and Daegu-Gyeongbuk) after the joint speeches in Jeju-Incheon on the 8th and Gangwon-do and Daegu-Gyeongbuk on the 9th.

Although it is not possible to predict the outcome easily since less than half of all eligible voters have cast their ballots, the overall trend seems to be a close competition between Chung and Kim, with Kim in a competitive lead.

A second-term lawmaker who is supporting Kim Min-seok said, "Although the proportion of eligible voters in Gangwon-do and Daegu-Gyeongbuk is very small (2.9% and 1.9%, respectively), elections are about momentum."

Kim Min-seok's camp stated through a press release after announcing the results of the sequential primaries, "The trend is solidifying."

On the other hand, a person from Chung Chee-ra's camp said, "It is important that the votes in Incheon did not completely lean toward Kim Min-seok (Chung 42.08%, Kim 47.75%). The trend has not been formed yet."

Chung Chee-ra told reporters after announcing the results of the sequential primaries, "It is a miracle that I recorded such a high vote rate while Song, Cho, and Kim are in alliance. I will make a comeback tomorrow."

The candidates' attention is now focused on this weekend, referred to as "Super Week."

The Honam region, whose results will be announced on the 15th, accounts for 33% of all eligible voters, and Seoul and Gyeonggi-do, to be announced on the 16th, account for 38%.

Another second-term lawmaker supporting Kim Min-seok said, "Although we should not let go of tension and do our best until the end, we will be able to solidify our advantage in Honam."

On the other hand, a senior lawmaker supporting Chung Chee-ra said, "Although many people evaluate the trend as Kim Min-seok's advantage in Honam, it seems that the gap has narrowed significantly, and the metropolitan area may be similar to Daejeon (where Chung won by a narrow margin)."

As the sequential primaries progress, a change in the candidates' message strategies is noticeable.

On the second day in a row, Kim Min-seok emphasized "unity," saying, "Although I unavoidably criticized (my competitors) to establish my route, after my route is confirmed, I will appoint people based on ability and unite the party."

In a situation where he seems to be gaining the upper hand, he is emphasizing "unity" ahead of the general convention and aiming for votes in Honam.

On the other hand, Chung Chee-ra seems to be targeting his traditional supporters in Honam and Seoul-Gyeonggi-do, emphasizing the "traitor" argument against Kim Min-seok every day.

On this day as well, Chung Chee-ra said, "Loyalty is the most important. I will keep loyalty to the party and President Lee Jae-myung."

Song Choong-ki said on the 2 days in a row, "Even if you boil doenjang jjigae (Korean fermented soybean paste stew) two or three times, it does not taste good," criticizing Chung Chee-ra's bid for re-election.