Kim Han-gil

By Chung Hee-hyung

Rep. Kim Han-gil of the main opposition Democratic United Party (DUP) marked another sweeping victory in the party’s leadership primary for North Cheolla Province, Thursday, solidifying his lead over his main rival Lee Hae-chan.

Kim emerged as an undisputable front runner, collecting 342 out of 1,304 votes cast by party delegates. Kang Gi-jung scored a distant second with 227 votes, while Lee trailed with 216 votes.

The primary for the North Jeoella Province marked the last in a series of regional voting conducted across the nation since May 21. Kim has defeated Lee eight out of 10 primaries held so far, and Lee faces an uphill battle to convince party delegates that he is still the most qualified candidate to prepare the DUP for the upcoming presidential election.

The regional votes cast since May 21, however, comprise only about half of the overall votes allotted to party delegates. The remaining 50 percent will be cast at the party’s national convention on June 9, when the DUP finally elects its leader and members of its Supreme Council.

Moreover, votes thrown by party delegates make up less than one third of the total ballots in the leadership primary. The remaining 70 percent will be decided by ordinary party members and average voters through a separate mobile and on-site voting, which will take place on June 5 and 8, respectively.

Before the start of the primary, most political observers considered Lee as the “inevitable” front runner because he enjoyed the backing of two party heavyweights Moon Jae-in and Park Jie-won. Moon is the leader of the Party’s pro-Roh faction and thought of as the DUP’s strongest presidential contender.

Park, the party’s floor leader, wields considerable influence within the party and has been acting as DUP’s interim leader after it has suffered a crushing defeat in April’s parliamentary elections.

Having such powerful support, however, has done more harm than good to Lee. Party delegates refused to endorse what critics have described as “backroom dealing” between Lee and the floor leader. They cast their votes for Kim instead, who is regarded as an outsider with relatively little connection to DUP’s current leadership.