With the temporary national convention to elect a new leader of the Democratic Party of Korea just three days away, attention both inside and outside the party is focused on the election dynamics. Candidate Jeong Cheong-rae, who has led in the voting from party members in the Chungcheong and Yeongnam regions, has expressed confidence in 'solidifying' his position, while candidate Park Chan-dae mentioned 'golden cross' and appealed for support in the final voter sentiment.
According to the Democratic Party of Korea on the 30th, voting for party members from the Honam region, as well as those from the metropolitan area, Gangwon, and Jeju, will take place online and will continue until August 2. A public opinion poll will be conducted from the 31st to August 1.
The national convention will be held on the 2nd of next month at KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province. The results of the voting by party members from Honam, the metropolitan area, and Seoul will be announced on that day, having been delayed due to flooding. The party leader will be finally elected by combining the votes from delegates (15%), party members (55%), and public opinion polls (30%). Therefore, the direction of the voting sentiment from party members in Honam and the metropolitan area, which are said to account for about 80% of the overall electorate, is expected to be a key variable in determining the outcome.
In the earlier party member voting from the Chungcheong and Yeongnam regions, candidate Jeong Cheong-rae garnered 62.65% of the votes, significantly ahead of candidate Park Chan-dae, who received 37.35%, with a difference of about 25 percentage points. However, it is generally observed within the party that the final outcome could change depending on the voting results from Honam and the metropolitan area.
The two candidates appealed for voter sentiment by reiterating their commitment to completing reform tasks such as 'ending insurrection' and prosecutorial reform.
Candidate Jeong, in a letter titled 'A Letter to Party Members' on this day, stated, 'I have been able to come this far thanks to the enthusiastic support from the party members and the high public opinion polls. If there had not been overwhelming superiority in all the polls conducted so far, it would have been a difficult path,' appealing for support. He also emphasized, 'I will completely uproot the roots of the insurrection party. When necessary, I will launch a full-scale effort for an unconstitutional party dissolution ruling against the insurrection party.'
Candidate Jeong also proposed an amendment to the Industrial Safety and Health Act, which obliges the CEO to check and take necessary measures regarding key safety and health matters at business sites in advance, and to allow penalties in cases of violation. This aligns with President Lee Jae-myung's recent emphasis on eradicating industrial accidents.
In response, candidate Park held a press conference at the National Assembly on this day, stating, 'The determination that does not get captured by numbers, the quietly spreading feelings are now creating the golden cross,' emphasizing a comeback. He continued, 'There is now only one scene left in the drama of finding the true guardians of the Lee Jae-myung administration,' encouraging supporters to unite.
He also reiterated, 'I will definitely end the insurrection,' stating, 'I will ensure the 45 members of the People Power Party, who have become human shields to protect Yoon Suk-yeol, are expelled.' He promised to make the Ethics Committee, currently an ad hoc special committee, a permanent one. Additionally, he stated, 'I will officially declare the dismantling of the prosecution office before Chuseok,' reaffirming his commitment to a strong reform drive.
The two candidates are putting all their efforts into the final campaign after completing the focused schedules for recovery from recent flooding. Candidate Jeong began his day with a meeting at Hyundai Steel in Incheon and a meeting with party members in Incheon, visiting the Bupyeong Underground Shopping Center and Gyeyangsan Traditional Market to meet with party members and citizens. Candidate Park moved to Jeju to pay respects at the Jeju 4.3 Peace Park and fulfill schedules for meetings with party members in Jeju Province.