Lee chasing Lee... Democratic primary this weekend '2nd Super Week'

Over 496,000 Electors Vote
Lee Nak-yeon, Lee Jae-myung Fight to Prevent Majority

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Joo-yeon] This weekend marks the start of the ‘2nd Super Week,’ which will decide whether the Democratic Party of Korea’s presidential primary runoff vote will take place. The size of the electorate is about 496,000, the largest among the remaining primary schedules. If Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung maintains a similar level of support during the 2nd Super Week as he has so far, his direct advance to the general election will become more visible. Former Democratic Party leader Lee Nak-yeon, who is currently about 120,000 votes behind Governor Lee, is intensifying his Daejang-dong attacks while requesting the party to convene a party affairs committee and appealing to the public and party members with urgency, putting all his efforts into blocking Governor Lee’s majority.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to the Democratic Party on the 29th, the 2nd electorate voting begins today. Results will be announced on the 1st in Jeju (13,000 people), on the 2nd in Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam (62,000 people), and on the 3rd in Incheon (22,000 people). At the turning point of the primary schedule, the decision on whether a runoff will proceed is expected to be determined by the voting intentions of 593,000 people (97,000 from regional primaries + 496,000) to be revealed this weekend. Governor Lee emphasized on Facebook that "Chungcheong, Daegu-Gyeongbuk, Gangwon, and Honam have already chosen Lee Jae-myung," adding, "Only Lee Jae-myung can win."

Former leader Lee Nak-yeon is putting all his efforts into this last chance to advance to the runoff. The upcoming primary on the 9th will be held in Gyeonggi, Governor Lee’s home turf.

In particular, he is criticizing the party’s decision to invalidate votes already obtained by candidates who withdrew midway, calling it "an undermining of the runoff voting system." Since excluding the withdrawn candidates’ votes from the valid vote count increased Governor Lee’s vote percentage, Lee Nak-yeon’s camp has requested the convening of the party affairs committee to seek clarification on this interpretation.

At the Democratic Party TV debate the previous day, former leader Lee also fiercely criticized Governor Lee regarding the Daejang-dong scandal, calling it a "crime scene" and a "den of corruption." On the same day, members of Lee Nak-yeon’s camp issued a press release pleading, "Although some electors and party members may have already decided on other candidates, please reconsider Lee Nak-yeon."

Meanwhile, on the morning of the same day, Representative Park Yong-jin announced seven Incheon area pledges, including the termination of the metropolitan landfill site, at the Democratic Party’s Incheon branch. Former Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae is scheduled to visit the Ulsan branch in the afternoon to hold a meeting with party members, aiming to win votes.