Former opposition party chief wins sweeping victory in primary of party leadership on 1st day

Rep. Jae-myung, right, greets people, along with former Interior Minister Kim Doo-gwan, center, during a convention of the Democratic Party of Korea to elect a new party leader on the southern island of Jeju, Saturday. Yonhap

Rep. Lee Jae-myung, former leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), won a primary on Jeju Island and the western port city of Incheon for party leader Saturday, as he eyes to secure a second term.

In June, Lee resigned to run for reelection as the current party rules stipulate a party chair must resign from their leadership position to be eligible as a candidate.

During Saturday's primary, the first of the 15-leg race across the country, Lee won 90.7 percent of combined ballots cast by registered party members on Jeju Island and in Incheon, followed by former Interior Minister Kim Doo-gwan with 8 percent and another candidate, Kim Ji-soo, at 1.3 percent.

The DPK is scheduled to elect a new leader during a national convention, Aug. 18, by factoring in the results of the primaries, a survey of the general public and online polls by party representatives.

Lee is widely expected to win his second term and is considered a leading candidate for the liberal party for the next presidential election in 2027, though he is at the heart of several scandals, including a land development scandal in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province.

In January, he was stabbed in the neck while visiting the southeastern port city of Busan. (Yonhap)