Democratic Party Approves Runoff Voting System for Party Leader Election
Jeong Cheongrae and Park Chandae Mentioned as Potential Party Leader Candidates
Floor Leader Race Narrows Down to Young Kyo Seo and Byung Ki Kim
The Democratic Party of Korea has begun the process of selecting its new leadership, including a new party leader and floor leader, who will oversee the party during the 9th nationwide local elections scheduled for June 3 next year.
On June 4, 2025, at the 21st Presidential Inauguration held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, President Jae Myung Lee and First Lady Hye Kyung Kim enter and greet Prime Minister nominee Min Seok Kim. Photo by Hyun Min Kim
On June 9, the Democratic Party discussed a proposed amendment to its party constitution and regulations at the Party Executive Committee, introducing a new election system for the by-elections of the party leader and Supreme Council members. The new leadership will be responsible for leading the ruling party under the Jae Myung Lee administration, as well as for preparing strategies and overseeing the nomination process for next year's local elections.
On this day, the Party Executive Committee convened at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, and approved the introduction of a runoff voting system for the party leader election. Under this system, a candidate must secure a majority of all votes cast to be elected; if no candidate achieves a majority, another round of voting will be held. Currently, Jeong Cheongrae, a four-term lawmaker and chair of the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee, and Park Chandae, the acting party leader and current floor leader (three-term lawmaker), are being mentioned as potential candidates. As this is a by-election, the next party leader will serve until August next year, completing the remainder of the previous leader's term.
At the same meeting, the committee also approved the by-election method for the Supreme Council seat vacated after Min Seok Kim, the senior Supreme Council member, was nominated as Prime Minister. The previous system, which relied 100% on the votes of Central Committee members, will be changed to a combined system of 50% Central Committee votes and 50% votes from dues-paying party members. The committee also approved the establishment of a 16-member National Convention Preparatory Committee (Jeonjunwi), led by chairperson Lee Choonseok. Additionally, the timing for forming the Jeonjunwi will be moved up from 50 days before candidate registration begins to 30 days prior. Amendments to the party constitution and regulations, including the election methods for party leader and Supreme Council members, will go through the approval process at the Central Committee meeting scheduled for June 13.
The upcoming floor leader election, to be held on June 12-13, will be a two-way race between Young Kyo Seo (four-term lawmaker) and Byung Ki Kim (three-term lawmaker), both considered pro-Lee Jae Myung figures. In this election, 80% of the vote will come from sitting lawmakers and 20% from dues-paying party members. Unlike the previous practice where only lawmakers chose the floor leader, this new system reflects the will of the party members.
Meanwhile, Park Chandae, acting party leader and floor leader of the Democratic Party, stated at the Supreme Council meeting on June 9, "We will establish a party-level price stabilization task force and, through consultations with the government, swiftly devise measures that the public can feel in their daily lives."
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