Ex-DP chief wins victory in party leadership primary in Seoul

All News 17:34 August 17, 2024

SEOUL, Aug. 17 (Yonhap) -- Rep. Lee Jae-myung, former leader of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP), won an overwhelming victory in the primary in Seoul on Saturday, poised to become the party leader for a second term.

Lee won 92.43 percent of combined ballots cast by registered party members in Seoul, the last round of primaries, followed by former Interior Minister Kim Doo-gwan with 6.27 percent and another candidate, Kim Ji-soo, at 1.3 percent.

Having accumulated nearly 90 percent of votes in 17 rounds of primaries and from party members abroad, Lee is widely expected to be elected the new leader during a national convention on Sunday.

In June, Lee resigned to run for reelection as the current party rule stipulates the party chair must resign from his leadership position to be eligible as a candidate.

Lee is considered a leading candidate for the liberal party for the next presidential election in 2027, though he is at the heart of several scandals, including a land development scandal in Seongnam, south of Seoul.