김민석 “국민 삶 책임지는 당으로”…‘당내 갈등 해소·총선 승리’ 과제

Kim Min-seok, the newly appointed leader of the Democratic Party, was elected as the representative for the second consecutive term of President Jae-myung's government on the 17th following the end of preferential voting. Ahead of Kim, deep divisions within the party loomed as he took on the daunting task of winning the 2028 general election.

At the Democratic Party's third regular nationwide congress, held at the DCC Convention Center in Daejeon's Seongdong District, Kim Min-seok secured 54.08% of the vote, edging out second-place candidate Chong Cheong-rae by 8.16 percentage points. The outcome was based on voter preference (70%), national opinion polls (30%), and a weighting of votes from key regions (Daegu, Gyeongbuk, and Kyungnam).

In the first round of voting, no majority was achieved, leading to the application of preferential voting; Kim Min-seok received 66.69% of the vote from the 17,000 national legislators who participated, surpassing Chong Cheong-rae, who garnered 49.30% in the nationwide opinion polls. The election analysis suggested that the Democratic Party's call for "stable party relations" played a significant role in Kim Min-seok's victory, as he had clashed with President Jae-myung's first cabinet.

Kim Min-seok, who served as the first vice president under President Jae-myung's administration, had been advocating for stable party relations to maintain a smooth relationship with the government. In his acceptance speech, Kim Min-seok said, "Our language, policies, attitude, and culture will evolve. The Democratic Party will become a party that takes responsibility for the lives of the people, transcending historical and democratic identities."

Five of the elected senior officials were appointed as supporters of Jae-myung and Chong Cheong-rae, forming a new dynamic against Kim Min-seok.