Kim Min-seok wins big in Honam, extends lead in Democratic Party leadership race

Kim Min-seok, a candidate for the Democratic Party's leadership, achieved a decisive victory in the Honam region's primary elections, significantly widening his lead over rival Jeong Cheong-rae.

In the joint convention held in Naju, Jeonnam, and Jeonbuk on August 15, Kim secured an impressive 57.54% of the vote among eligible party members. This strong performance in the Honam region, which accounts for over 30% of the party's dedicated members, propelled his cumulative vote share to 52.2%. In contrast, Jeong Cheong-rae garnered 32.65% in the Honam region and holds a cumulative 38.14% overall.

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Honam's great support is a desire for democracy and leapfrog growth, and I know it is support and encouragement for the Lee Jae-myung administration. I will humbly give my all until the end and desperately run for the success of state affairs.

The gap between Kim and Jeong, which was a mere 1.48% point (3,086 votes) after the second week of provincial contests on August 10, has now stretched to 14.07% points (60,336 votes) following the Honam results. Song Young-gil, the third candidate, received 9.81% in Honam and has a cumulative 9.65% overall.

Following the announcement, Kim Min-seok expressed gratitude on X (formerly Twitter), interpreting the Honam support as a desire for "democracy and leapfrog growth" and "support and encouragement for the Lee Jae-myung administration." He pledged to "humbly give his all until the end and desperately run for the success of state affairs."

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I respect the choice and judgment of the Honam eligible party members and will continue to strive.

Jeong Cheong-rae acknowledged the results, stating to reporters, "I respect the choice and judgment of the Honam eligible party members and will continue to strive." He also posted on Facebook, "The choice of Honam is always right. I humbly respect and accept it. Regardless of my victory or defeat, I will do my best for the victory of the Democratic Party and the success of the Lee Jae-myung administration."

The Democratic Party will hold a joint convention for the Seoul and Gyeonggi regions on August 16, after which the results for these areas will be announced. The final results, combining these with the national public opinion surveys, will be revealed at the party's convention on August 17.

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The choice of Honam is always right. I humbly respect and accept it. Regardless of my victory or defeat, I will do my best for the victory of the Democratic Party and the success of the Lee Jae-myung administration.