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🇰🇷 South Korea /Elections & Politics

Democratic Party leaders campaign in Jeonbuk amid tight gubernatorial race

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • The Democratic Party's leadership is campaigning intensely in Jeonbuk province for their gubernatorial candidate, Lee Won-taek, in the upcoming local elections.
  • They are seeking to secure the province against an independent candidate, Kim Kwan-young, who was expelled from the party.
  • The outcome in Jeonbuk is seen as potentially influencing the Democratic Party's national convention in August.

The Democratic Party's top leadership has descended upon Jeonbuk province for an intensive campaign blitz, rallying support for gubernatorial candidate Lee Won-taek in the crucial June 3 local elections. This concentrated effort aims to "defend Jeonbuk" against a formidable challenge from independent candidate Kim Kwan-young, who was expelled from the party over alleged cash-for-votes irregularities.

If you like and support President Lee Jae-myung, please vote for Democratic candidate Lee Won-taek.

· Jeong Cheong-raeAppealing to voters in Jeonbuk province.

Party leader Jeong Cheong-rae has directly linked support for Lee Won-taek to backing President Lee Jae-myung, urging voters to choose the Democratic candidate to ensure a unified front between the party, the government, and the presidential office. This collaboration, Jeong promised, would focus on improving the lives of Jeonbuk residents, particularly through projects like the Saemangeum development.

Jeong also strongly refuted claims made by Kim Kwan-young, who suggested he had informed the president about his unavoidable independent candidacy. Jeong labeled these assertions as "serious false information" and a "dangerous gamble" that could put the president in a difficult position. Other senior party officials echoed these sentiments, criticizing Kim's campaign as a bid for political survival based on "rumors."

If Lee Won-taek becomes governor of Jeonbuk, the party, government, and presidential office will become one team and do our best with sincerity to improve the lives of Jeonbuk residents, including the Saemangeum development.

· Jeong Cheong-raePromising benefits for the province if the candidate wins.

The intense focus on Jeonbuk stems from the unexpectedly close race. Recent polls show Lee Won-taek and Kim Kwan-young locked in a tight contest, a rare situation for the province, which has consistently elected Democratic candidates since 1995. The party's strategists believe the race has become a direct confrontation between Jeong Cheong-rae and Kim Kwan-young, with Kim leveraging anti-Jeong sentiment regarding nominations in the Honam region. The party's anxieties are amplified by similar close races in other areas, making the Jeonbuk outcome a significant variable for Jeong's potential re-election bid as party leader.

This is serious false information. It is a dangerous gamble that puts the president in a difficult position.

· Jeong Cheong-raeResponding to claims made by independent candidate Kim Kwan-young.
About this summary

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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