Democratic Party Leadership Race Set for Three-Way Contest; Factional Lines Drawn for Supreme Council

The Democratic Party's preliminary selection process has narrowed the field for its August 17 national convention, confirming a three-way race for the party leadership. Former Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, former party leader Chung Jin-suk, and former party leader Song Young-gil have all advanced to the main contest.

In the concurrent race for the Supreme Council, which saw eight out of 14 candidates advance, the party's internal factions were evident. Five candidates aligned with the pro-Lee Jae-myung faction secured spots, while all three candidates from the pro-Chung Jin-suk faction also made it to the main round. Notably, Representative Ko Min-jung, who received support from the pro-Moon Jae-in faction, did not advance.

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It should no longer be utilized in the national convention.

Following the preliminary results announcement, Kim Min-seok and Song Young-gil jointly called for the swift passage of legislation to completely abolish the prosecution's supplementary investigation rights. They argued that this issue should no longer be a topic of debate within the national convention.

Meanwhile, Chung Jin-suk put pressure on Kim Min-seok regarding allegations that the religious group Shincheonji interfered in the party's convention. Chung urged Kim to "resolve the matter himself," implying that Kim should take responsibility for clarifying the situation.

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Resolve the matter yourself.