Nam Hyun-woo has worked as a staff writer at The Korea Times since 2013, mostly covering business and politics. He currently belongs to the Business Desk where he covers topics such as emerging tech, AI, ICT and Korea's chaebol community. Prior to joining the team, he was the paper's correspondent for the presidential office of Korea during the Yoon Suk Yeol and Moon Jae-in administrations.
Gyeonggi governor nearing final candidacy of ruling party
Democratic Party of Korea presidential contender Lee Jae-myung announces his election platform at a community center in downtown Seoul, Monday. Joint Press Corps
By Nam Hyun-woo
Lee cruises past ex-prime minister despite land development scandal
By Nam Hyun-woo
Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung is close to becoming the presidential candidate representing the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), maintaining a solid lead over three rivals despite increasing suspicions about a land development scandal in which the opposition bloc claims he was involved.
In the DPK's regional primary vote in Incheon over the weekend, Lee won 53.8 percent of the ballots, outpacing former Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon's 35.4 percent, former Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae's 9.2 percent and Rep. Park Yong-jin's 1.4 percent. Party members living in the city who have voting rights participated in the vote.
In a separate vote open to the public and general DPK members, Governor Lee also secured 58.1 percent of the ballots, consolidating his lead over former Prime Minister Lee's 33.4 percent.
In nine regional elections and two polls on the general public conducted so far, Governor Lee has bagged 545,537 ballots, or 54.9 percent, while former Prime Minister Lee has garnered 341,076 votes, or 34.33 percent.
To select its presidential candidate, the DPK collected a voter list of 2.16 million people and the turnout so far stood at 65.96 percent. If the turnout remains at this level, approximately 1.42 million people will vote in the DPK primary.
The DPK primary outcome signifies the final choice for the party's presidential candidate only if a contender secures more than half of the total votes, or 710,000 ballots. Since Governor Lee has won more than 540,000 ballots so far, approximately 170,000 are required for the 56-year-old to make it into the presidential election. If he falls short, the party will hold a two-way vote between him and former Prime Minister Lee.
The remaining primary rounds look to be in Governor Lee's favor. On Oct. 9, a tally of 165,000 voters in Gyeonggi Province, Lee's home turf, will be revealed, and on Oct. 10 it will be followed by Seoul with 144,500 voters and a general poll with 305,800 voters.
“I shouldn't be confident about any particular region,” Lee told reporters after the Incheon round. “The public is wise and cool-headed, so I must not be complacent and should do my best.”
Democratic Party of Korea presidential contender Lee Jae-myung speaks during the party's primary round in Incheon, Sunday. Joint Press Corps
Lee's solid lead came amid suspicions raised by the opposition bloc that the governor was involved in a land development project scandal in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, when he was the mayor of the city.
Yoo Dong-gyu, former acting president of Seongnam Development Corp., was arrested on Sunday following suspicions over the apartment complex development project in the city's Daejang-dong. The project faced mounting questions and suspicions as a newly established small asset management firm, Hwacheon Daeyu, raked in profits of more than 1,000 times its investments in a suspicious dividend structure after the company was selected by Seongnam Development Corp. to run the project just a day after submitting a bid in 2015.
The main opposition People Power Party (PPP) has claimed Yoo is a close confidant of Governor Lee and has called on the governor to withdraw his candidacy, claiming that the case should be investigated by an independent counsel.
Governor Lee said Monday that he feels regretful that “an official under my command was involved in a disgraceful case,” but denied the opposition's claims that Yoo was his close aide.
“If a public servant should resign over the misbehavior of a subordinate, all public servants in the country will have to resign,” Lee said. “If I did something legally wrong, I should be responsible, but this case is about taking moral responsibility on mismanaging subordinates.”
Yoo Dong-gyu, former acting president of Seongnam Development Corp., sits in a vehicle heading to Seoul Detention Center, Sunday, after the Seoul Central District Court issued an arrest warrant on charges of breach of trust and bribery in connection with a land development project in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. Joint Press Corps
Despite the suspicions and opposition claims, Lee is strengthening his presence as a presidential candidate. In a survey by broadcaster TBS and Korea Society Opinion Institute released on Monday, Lee was leading all presidential contenders with a 28.3 percent support rate, followed by the PPP's Yoon Seok-youl with 28 percent and Rep. Hong Joon-pyo with 16.7 percent.