Remaining Schedule to Be Held at Seoul National Convention on August 2
Jeong and Park to Support Flood Recovery Efforts During Blackout Period
The Democratic Party of Korea has postponed the regional primary elections for party leader and Supreme Council candidates in the Honam and Gyeonggi-Incheon regions, originally scheduled for July 26-27, to the national convention on August 2, and has launched an all-out effort for flood recovery. As the nationwide damage from heavy rains has reached a critical level, the party has decided to minimize events and focus on flood response measures and schedules to address public concerns.
On the morning of July 21, Kim Byunggi, Acting Leader and Floor Leader of the Democratic Party, visited a greenhouse farm in Yesan-gun, Chungnam Province, and stated, "We will do our utmost to ensure that this area is promptly designated as a special disaster zone for swift recovery."
On this day, approximately 150 Democratic Party officials, including party leadership, Eo Gigoo, Chair of the National Assembly's Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs, Oceans and Fisheries Committee, Moon Jinseok, Chair of the Chungnam Provincial Party, and party leader candidates Jeong Cheongrae and Park Chandae, participated in the recovery efforts at the site.
Kim Byunggi, Acting Leader and Floor Leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is visiting the flood damage site in Jogokri, Sinam-myeon, Yesan-gun, Chungnam, on the 21st to support recovery efforts. Photo by Yonhap News
The party leadership held a closed-door meeting the previous day and, in consideration of the heavy rain damage, decided to combine the Honam and Gyeonggi-Incheon regional votes, which were scheduled for July 26-27, into a single vote on August 2, effectively canceling the regional primaries in Honam and Gyeonggi-Incheon. In the Chungcheong and Yeongnam regional party member votes held on July 19-20, candidate Jeong achieved a landslide victory. Jeong's cumulative vote share was 62.65% (76,010 votes), approximately 1.7 times higher than Park's cumulative share of 37.35% (45,310 votes). In Yeongnam, where voter turnout was high at 65.57%, Jeong and Park received 62.55% and 37.45% of the votes, respectively. In Chungcheong, they received 62.77% and 37.23%, respectively.
Since the start of the primary, some National Assembly members have publicly declared support for Park, making it appear that the political sentiment in Yeouido was leaning toward him. However, the party sentiment has favored Jeong, who served as the chief prosecutor in the National Assembly's impeachment proceedings against former President Yoon Sukyeol. Party members in Chungcheong and Yeongnam are evaluated as having supported Jeong, who emphasized himself as a "strong reformist party leader candidate."
However, as there is a possibility that party sentiment could shift during the blackout period, both candidates are expected to focus on securing public support until the end. On this day, Park visited the flood damage site and evacuation centers in Yesan, Chungnam, before heading to Gwangju Metropolitan City to assist with recovery efforts. Jeong, who visited the flood site in Yesan, introduced a bill to amend the River Act, enabling local governments to respond more proactively to emergencies. Jeong stated, "To protect the lives and property of flood victims, we will work to ensure that a rapid response system tailored to on-site conditions can be established and processed quickly in the National Assembly."
Democratic Party presidential candidates Jeong Cheongrae (second from left) and Park Chandae (third from left) are talking at the flood damage site in Jogok-ri, Sinam-myeon, Yesan-gun, Chungnam, on the 21st. Photo by Yonhap News
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