Saenuri Party to pick new leadership

The ruling Saenuri Party will hold a national convention on Tuesday afternoon to elect a new leadership tasked with promoting party unity, overcoming the opposition-led legislature and preparing for next year's presidential election.

At the convention in Seoul, which begins at 2 p.m., the party will pick one chairman and four members of its decision-making Supreme Council. It has been led by an interim leadership since its crushing defeat in the April 13 parliamentary polls.

Some 9,100 delegates are set to cast their ballots at the convention. Around 69,800 general and senior party members already voted in Sunday's advance voting that saw a low turnout of only 20.7 percent.

The combined ballots by party members and delegates account for 70 percent of the election results, while public opinion polls comprise 30 percent.

Four Saenuri lawmakers -- Lee Jung-hyun, Lee Ju-young, Joo Ho-young and Han Sun-kyo -- have been vying for the party's top post.

For four Supreme Council seats, eight candidates have been competing. They are Cho Won-jin, Lee Jang-woo, Ham Jin-kyu, Kang Seok-ho, Jeong Yong-gi, Chung Moon-hun. Lee Eun-jae and Choi Yeon-hye.

Yoo Chang-soo and Lee Boo-hyeong are vying for one council seat allotted for a youth party member.

Meanwhile, the main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea (MPK) is set to hold its own leadership election on Aug. 27. (Yonhap)