Rep. Lee Jae-myung, former leader of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP), won primaries in the southeastern cities of Busan and Ulsan and South Gyeongsang Province for party leader Saturday, as he looks to secure a second term.
In June, Lee resigned to run for reelection as the current party rule stipulates the party chair must resign from his leadership position to be eligible as a candidate.
During Saturday’s primary in Busan, Lee received 92.08 percent of combined ballots cast by registered party members there, followed by former Interior Minister Kim Doo-gwan with 7.04 percent and another candidate, Kim Ji-soo, with 0.98 percent.
Ahead of the Busan election, the DP held a primary in the adjacent city of Ulsan, where Lee also earned 90.56 percent support.
Lee also won the primary in South Gyeongsang Province later Saturday by winning 87.22 percent.
So far, the DP has held seven primaries out of its 15-leg race across the country.
The party is scheduled to elect a new leader during a national c
onvention on Aug. 18 based on the results of the primaries, a survey of the general public and online polls by party representatives.
Lee is widely expected to win his second term and is considered a leading candidate for the liberal party for the next presidential election in 2027, though he is at the heart of several scandals, including a land development scandal in Seongnam, south of Seoul.
Source: Yonhap News Agency