Kim Min-seok wins Democratic Party leadership primary in Honam region

Kim Min-seok, a candidate for the leadership of South Korea's Democratic Party, has emerged victorious in the preliminary election held in the Honam region. He secured a commanding 57.54% of the votes, totaling 139,307 ballots, significantly outperforming his closest rival, Chung Chin-rae, who garnered 32.65% with 79,033 votes.

The election, which took place ahead of the party's national convention on August 17, saw party members in the Jeonnam, Gwangju, and Jeonbuk regions cast their votes. The voting period ran from August 11 to August 14, utilizing online platforms and automated response systems (ARS).

Song Young-gil, another contender for the party leadership, secured third place with 9.81% of the votes, receiving 23,749 ballots. The preliminary elections are part of the Democratic Party's process to select its new leader, with a preference voting system in place for party members.

Under this system, party members rank their preferred candidates from first to third. While only the first-choice votes and their percentages are announced during the regional preliminary elections, the final results on August 17 will be determined by combining first and second-choice votes if no candidate achieves an absolute majority in the initial round.