KB News Desk
A three-way leadership race for the ruling Democratic Party of Korea was confirmed Thursday, after two of the five candidates dropped out.
The three shortlisted to vie for party leadership are former Prime Minister and four-term lawmaker Rep. Kim Min-seok; former Democratic Party chair and four-term lawmaker Rep. Jung Chung-rae, who is running again; and six-term lawmaker Rep. Song Young-gil, who succeeded Lee Jae Myung after Lee became president.
Two-term lawmaker Rep. Ko Min-jung and Kim Bo-mi, a county councilor in Gangjin-gun, South Jeolla Province, dropped out of the race.
The list of candidates was confirmed after the party members’ votes and poll outcomes were combined.
As for the Supreme Council election, eight out of 14 candidates were chosen to run at the upcoming convention. They are Reps. Park Sun-won, Lee Sung-yoon, Han Min-soo, Seo Mi-hwa, Choi Min-hee, Kim Young-ho and Lim Mi-ae, as well as Kim Yong, a former aide to President Lee.
The party leadership contest at the party’s national convention on Aug. 17 is widely perceived as a litmus test to gauge whether the president will cement his grip on the liberal bloc.
The party chair and four Supreme Council members will be elected. Winners in the election will serve for two years, as South Korea is to hold its next general election in 2028.
