D-1 to Democratic Party Floor Leader Election, Factional Conflict Concerns... Policy Speech Likely to Be Crucial

172 Members Vote Anonymously
Second Round If Over 10% Votes
Runoff If No Majority
'Surprise Twist' Possible

Yoon Ho-jung, the Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the Democratic Party of Korea, is attending the floor strategy meeting held at the National Assembly on the 22nd and delivering opening remarks. Photo by Yoon Dong-ju doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Chae-eun] With the next floor leader election of the Democratic Party of Korea just one day away, the second round of voting, which includes policy speeches, is expected to be crucial. If no candidate secures a majority in the second round, a runoff vote may be held, potentially breaking the "two-strong-contender" standoff between Park Hong-geun and Park Kwang-on and creating a dramatic turnaround.

According to the Democratic Party on the 23rd, the floor leader election starting at 2 p.m. tomorrow will begin with a secret ballot among all 172 lawmakers, with all members eligible as candidates. Candidates who receive at least 10% (18 votes) will advance to the second round of voting. If a candidate obtains a majority in this round, they win immediately; if not, the top two candidates will proceed to a third runoff vote. This structure allows any candidate who reaches the runoff to attempt a surprising comeback.

The current leading candidates are Ahn Kyu-baek (4-term, Seoul Dongdaemun-gap), Kim Kyung-hyeop (3-term, Gyeonggi Bucheon-eul), Park Kwang-on (3-term, Gyeonggi Suwon-jeong), Park Hong-geun (3-term, Seoul Jungnang-eul), and Lee Won-wook (3-term, Gyeonggi Hwaseong-gap), totaling five candidates.

The key voting bloc is the roughly 80 first-term lawmakers. They tend to have less factional affiliation and more undecided voters compared to second-term or multi-term lawmakers. One first-term lawmaker said, "After the presidential election defeat, the party atmosphere is not good, and factions with emotional ties appear more prominent, which could deepen internal divisions." Another first-term lawmaker added, "Many first-term members have not yet decided whom to vote for. The mood is to listen to the policy speeches on-site and choose someone who can demonstrate leadership to overcome the crisis."

Another point of interest in this election is the lack of clear differentiation among candidates beyond factional lines. All five candidates emphasize party unity as a priority to recover from the presidential election loss, and pledge to competently handle prosecutorial, media, and political reforms as well as legislation for public welfare.

Another floor leader official said, "It is likely to go to a runoff vote, which means the magic number will be 87 votes. In this case, winning by faction alone is impossible, so how persuasively candidates appeal to lawmakers during their policy speeches will be crucial."