Anna Jiwon Park has been covering the politics at The Korea Times since the summer of 2024, when she joined the press pool for the Office of the President in Korea. Prior to that, she spent about five years reporting extensively on financial markets, regulatory authorities and the financial industry. She joined The Korea Times in 2019 after spending eight years as a broadcast journalist at Arirang TV, Korea’s leading global broadcaster, covering politics, defense and culture.
Ruling DPK leadership race narrows to 3-way competition
From left, Jung Chung-rae, Kim Min-seok and Song Young-gil pose at the National Assembly in Seoul, Thursday, after they passed the preliminary round of the Democratic Party of Korea's leadership race. Yonhap
By Anna J. Park
Former PM, ex-party chief, veteran lawmaker advance to Aug. 17 convention
With the ruling Democratic Party of Korea's (DPK) leadership contest now set as a three-way race, the final stretch to the Aug. 17 national convention is shaping up as a battle between continuity and closer alignment with the presidential office.
Kim Min-seok, Jung Chung-rae and Song Young-gil emerged from the party's preliminary round Thursday as the three finalists — in order of candidate registration number. The party said 581,872 of its 1,554,259 eligible voters cast ballots, a turnout of 37.44 percent. In accordance with party rules, neither the vote totals nor the rankings of the candidates were disclosed.
The contest is now widely expected to unfold as a showdown pitting Jung, the party's former chairman seeking reelection, against Kim and Song, both regarded as close allies of President Lee Jae Myung.
Kim, who served as the first prime minister under the Lee administration from July 2025 to June, has positioned himself as the candidate best suited to ensure close coordination between the party and the government. Emphasizing the need for unity under the new administration, he has promoted himself as a "party leader aligned with the government."
A four-term lawmaker, Kim studied at Seoul National University before entering politics through the student movement. He later earned a Master of Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School, a Juris Doctor from Rutgers Law School and a Master of Laws from Tsinghua University.
Kim has pledged to complete the ruling liberal party's long-promised prosecution reform agenda, including legislation aimed at restructuring prosecutorial powers.
Jung, also a four-term lawmaker, has campaigned on continuing an aggressive reform agenda that includes judicial and media reform. During his tenure as the previous party leader, he strongly advocated abolishing prosecutors' supplementary investigation authority and has vowed to complete the party's prosecution reform while unifying the broader progressive bloc.
"I have never left the DPK and have proudly carried the party's banner of reform for the past 20 years," Jung said during the campaign. "I will continue to protect the party's identity."
His message has resonated strongly with the party's traditional progressive base, positioning him as the candidate representing continuity in the party's reform drive.
Song, a lawyer-turned-politician, brings decades of political experience to the race. He previously served six terms in the National Assembly, was elected mayor of Incheon and later led the DPK as its chairman in 2021.
Highlighting his long political relationship with Lee, Song has argued that he is best positioned to ensure seamless cooperation between the party and Cheong Wa Dae. As the only former metropolitan mayor among the candidates, he has also underscored his executive and administrative experience.
"I stood alongside Lee Jae Myung through the most difficult moments of our political careers and devoted my entire political life to helping launch the Lee administration," Song said. "The party and the presidential office must move as one so that no discord emerges between them."
From left, Jung Chung-rae, Kim Min-seok and Song Young-gil pose at the National Assembly in Seoul, Thursday, after they passed the preliminary round of the Democratic Party of Korea's leadership race. Yonhap
Recent opinion polls suggest Jung currently holds a narrow lead over Kim, while Song trails behind.
A survey conducted by the Korea Society Opinion Institute from July 20 to 21 among 1,000 adults nationwide found Jung leading with 25.7 percent support, followed by Kim at 21.5 percent and Song at 8.3 percent.
Another poll conducted by Media Tomato over the same period among 1,036 adults nationwide also showed Jung in first place with 33.7 percent support, ahead of Kim at 22 percent and Song at 11.7 percent.
The final DPK leadership election will be decided through a weighted system in which delegates and party members account for 70 percent of the vote, while a public opinion survey makes up the remaining 30 percent. This year's race will also feature two notable procedural changes: the introduction of a preferential voting system and a one-member, one-vote system for party members in the leadership election.
The party will kick off its regional primary schedule on Aug. 1 in South Chungcheong Province, North Chungcheong Province, Daejeon and Sejong, followed by successive rounds across the country before holding its national convention at the Daejeon Convention Center on Aug. 17, where the next party leader will be officially elected.