Ex-presidential candidate Lee selected as candidate for parliamentary by-election

Former presidential nominee of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea Lee Jae-myung / Yonhap

The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) selected its former presidential nominee Lee Jae-myung, Friday, as a candidate for national Assembly by-elections that will be held concurrently with the June 1 local elections.

Lee, who lost to now President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol by only 0.73 percentage points in the March 9 presidential election, will run for a National Assembly seat representing a constituency in Gyeyang, Incheon, the DPK said.

"Our leadership recently asked Lee to run in a by-election for our elections victory and Lee agreed to that," DPK spokesperson Koh Yong-jin said.

Lee, former Gyeonggi Province governor, has never served as a national lawmaker in his career.

Assembly by-elections will take place in seven constituencies concurrently with the local elections. (Yonhap)