Chung Sye-kyun leads Kim Min-seok by slim margin in tight Democratic Party leadership race

The race for the leadership of South Korea's Democratic Party is proving to be an intensely close contest, with frontrunners Chung Sye-kyun and Kim Min-seok locked in a tight battle. The first weekend of regional primaries, held in the Chungcheong and Busan/Ulsan/Gyeongnam (Bu/Ul/Gyeongnam) areas, has resulted in razor-thin margins, underscoring the competitive nature of the election.

Following the tally of votes from both regions, Chung Sye-kyun holds a slight overall lead of 1,211 votes against Kim Min-seok. In the Bu/Ul/Gyeongnam primary on Sunday, Chung secured 46.65% of the first-preference votes from party members, edging out Kim, who garnered 43.85%. Song Young-gil trailed in third place with 9.50%. However, these figures do not yet include a 5% weighting for strategic areas like Gyeongnam, which could potentially widen Chung's lead if he maintained a narrow advantage there.

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I will definitely report candidate Kim to the ethics committee for judgment, for causing pain to party members by raising suspicions about Shincheonji and putting the party at risk of becoming an unconstitutional party.

The previous day's primary in the Chungcheong region saw Kim Min-seok achieve a narrow victory. Kim received 45.06% of the first-preference votes from party members in Chungnam, Chungbuk, Daejeon, and Sejong, surpassing Chung's 44.61%. Song also secured 10.34% in this region. Cumulatively, Chung leads with 45.51% of the votes (55,518), followed by Kim with 44.52% (54,307), and Song with 9.97% (12,156).

The intense competition has spilled over into accusations, with both Chung and Kim threatening to file ethics complaints against each other. Chung vowed to report Kim to the ethics committee for allegedly causing pain to party members by raising suspicions about the Shincheonji religious group and endangering the party. Kim retaliated, stating he would report anyone engaging in improper factional activities during the convention, ensuring they face judgment even if they reach leadership positions.

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I will report all those who engaged in improper factional activities during the convention to the ethics committee, ensuring they face judgment even if they enter the leadership.