Kim Min-seok, a former prime minister, Song Young-gil, a lawmaker, and Jung Chung-rae, a former party leader, who are running in the Democratic Party of Korea's Aug. 17 national convention, all visited Honam on the 4th to court party members. With Kim, the former prime minister, and Jung, the former party leader, locked in a razor-thin race with a 1 percentage point (p) gap in the Chungcheong region and Busan-Ulsan-North Gyeongsang (Bu-Ul-Gyeong) tour primaries, Honam, where dues-paying party members account for a high share, has emerged as the decisive battleground of this convention.
Kim, the former prime minister, visited Namwon in North Jeolla and then Gimje and Buan on the 4th. He is seen as leading in Honam based on "Myeongsim (Myeong's intent, referring to President Lee Jae-myung's will)." Kim, the former prime minister, also said that day, "The urgent task that deserves the greatest focus in state affairs is the so-called mega project," adding it would be "a choice that changes the history of the Republic of Korea."
Jung, the former party leader, visited Gwangju on the 4th and held back-to-back roundtables with Malbawi Market, the association for people with physical disabilities, firefighters, and the individual taxi union, moving to capture local sentiment. Visiting Malbawi Market that day, he said, "When I come to Gwangju, I always feel sorry and also tearfully grateful," meeting citizens and taking the pulse of grassroots opinion.
He then highlighted the Honam Development Special Committee he created when he was party leader, underscoring achievements in Honam's development. Jung, the former party leader, said, "By creating the Honam Development Special Committee, we started with the speed improvement project from Gwangju Songjeong Station to Mokpo Station, a long-held wish in Honam, and carried out 35 new projects."
Song, a lawmaker, also emphasized that he is from Goheung, South Jeolla, and moved to win Honam votes. He visited Hwasun and Naju that day to broaden contact with Honam party members. After finishing the Hwasun residents' empathy talk, he appealed, "For Honam's future, at least in South Jeolla and Gwangju, you should vote for Song Young-gil," adding, "If even my hometown won't vote for someone who struggled away from home, where would I be able to hold my head up?"
The three candidates are expected to continue to pour their efforts into securing Honam party sentiment. Honam is a core region that accounts for 32.9% of all dues-paying party members, the highest share relative to population. Along with the Seoul metropolitan area, where 38.3% of dues-paying members are concentrated, it is viewed as the decisive battleground that will shape the convention's dynamics.
In particular, as Jung Chung-rae and Kim Min-seok are in a close contest with a 1 percentage point gap early in the tour primaries, the direction of Honam votes is expected to decisively affect the selection of the next party leader. A Democratic Party official said, "As the one-person, one-vote system is implemented, making the value of dues-paying members' votes equal to that of delegates, grassroots sentiment in Honam will become important," adding, "In particular, who is chosen in Honam as the Democratic Party's 'legitimate heir' matters."