Song Gap-seok, Democratic Party Supreme Council Candidate, 'Fired a Signal of Reversal'... A Step Forward

Regional Primary Turnaround in Party Convention... 7th Place Combining Cumulative Vote Share and 1st National Poll

Non-Capital Candidates Cross Polling Threshold of 5%... Positive Outlook Ahead of Honam Primary on 20-21

Candidate Song Appeal

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] As the tour primary election to elect the new leadership of the Democratic Party of Korea, including the party leader and supreme council members, passes the halfway point, Song Gap-seok, who was in last place, recorded 7th place, signaling a turnaround.

According to the Democratic Party on the 14th, after the joint speech meeting of Daejeon and Sejong held at Hanbat Sports Complex in Daejeon, the results of the party members' voting showed that candidate Song received 4.15% (9,945 votes), placing 8th.

The 1st place was candidate Jeong Cheong-rae with 28.22% (67,632 votes), candidate Ko Min-jung was 2nd with 22.11% (52,985 votes), candidate Jang Kyung-tae 3rd with 11.48% (27,505 votes), candidate Seo Young-kyo 4th with 11.06% (26,516 votes), candidate Park Chan-dae 5th with 10.68% (25,591 votes), candidate Yoon Young-chan 6th with 7.73% (18,518 votes), and candidate Go Young-in 7th with 4.57% (10,950 votes).

However, when adding the first round of national public opinion poll results announced that day for the supreme council candidates, the rankings changed.

The first national public opinion poll results were: Jeong Cheong-rae 30.61%, Ko Min-jung 21.57%, Jang Kyung-tae 12.61%, Seo Young-kyo 11.78%, Park Chan-dae 9.5%, Yoon Young-chan 6.25%, Song Gap-seok 5.41%, and Go Young-in 2.27%.

The final ranking of the eight supreme council candidates is determined by combining 40% party members' votes, 30% delegates' votes, 25% national public opinion polls, and 5% general party members' opinion polls, with the top five entering the leadership as supreme council members.

When combining the party members' votes and the first national public opinion poll results conducted so far, the converted scores are: 1st Jeong Cheong-rae 15.12%, 2nd Ko Min-jung 11.54%, Jang Kyung-tae 6.17%, Seo Young-kyo 5.9%, Park Chan-dae 5.46%, Yoon Young-chan 3.87%, Song Gap-seok 2.34%, and Go Young-in 2.11%, with candidate Song rising to 7th place.

In particular, it is analyzed as encouraging that candidate Song, the only non-metropolitan candidate who has not been active on the central stage, exceeded the critical 5% in the national public opinion poll.

Song Gap-seok's camp sees no difficulty in aiming for a rise in ranking in the upcoming primaries in Jeonbuk on the 20th and Gwangju-Jeonnam on the 21st, as the spark of a turnaround has been rekindled at this halfway point of the primary election, and is appealing for full support from the Honam region.

The Honam region has 421,047 party members, accounting for 35.68% of the total. Moreover, if there is support from Honam in the delegate vote, which accounts for 30% of the reflection rate, it is analyzed that there is a chance to settle within the top five.

A representative from Song's camp said, "It is encouraging that we surpassed 5% in the national public opinion poll and recorded 7th place in the combined vote rate at the halfway point," and appealed, "Please give full support to candidate Song, the only non-metropolitan candidate who can represent regional public sentiment beyond Honam, in the upcoming primaries in Honam next week."

Meanwhile, the Democratic Party will conclude the primaries with the Gwangju-Jeonnam schedule on the 21st and Seoul-Gyeonggi on the 27th, and finalize the party leader and supreme council members at the national delegates' convention on the 28th.