Democratic Party leadership race: Candidates project contrasting confidence ahead of first round

As the Democratic Party of Korea gears up for its leadership election, candidates are presenting divergent outlooks on their prospects in the upcoming preliminary rounds. The first round of the nationwide primary, scheduled for August 1st in the Chungcheong region, followed by Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam on August 2nd, has become a focal point for strategic positioning.

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If we can just prevent a deficit of up to 7 percentage points in the first round, we will win in the overall ranking of first-place votes in the subsequent regions, and even if we exceed a minus 7% point deficit, we will bounce back like a spring in the supporter opinion polls.

Candidate Kim Min-seok acknowledged a potential disadvantage in the initial stages, particularly in regions considered strongholds for his rivals. He projected being "minus 7% points" behind in the first round but expressed strong conviction that he could overcome this deficit. Kim stated his strategy involves minimizing losses in the early rounds and leveraging support in subsequent regions to secure an overall victory. He believes that even if he falls behind by up to 7 percentage points in the first round, he can still win through superior performance in later regional contests and by mobilizing his core supporters in opinion polls.

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The summit of victory has now become a reality, and the face of victory has begun to appear before my eyes.

Conversely, candidate Jung Cheong-rae exuded confidence, suggesting that victory is within reach. He shared opinion poll results indicating his lead and declared on Facebook that "the summit of victory has now become a reality, and the face of victory has begun to appear before my eyes." Jung emphasized the importance of momentum in public opinion, stating, "Public sentiment is the trend, the trend becomes momentum, and momentum becomes the tide." He appears to be banking on his perceived advantage in national public opinion translating into support among party members.

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Public sentiment is the trend, the trend becomes momentum, and momentum becomes the tide.

Meanwhile, candidate Song Young-gil is focusing on differentiating himself by highlighting his experience as a former governor and his economic expertise. He aims to present himself as the most suitable candidate to navigate the current economic crisis. Song has been actively campaigning in the Honam region, visiting historical sites and emphasizing his policy proposals for economic recovery.

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Among the three candidates, I am the only one who has served as a metropolitan mayor and understands economics. I have prepared solutions to overcome this economic crisis.