Democratic Party Convention Race Heats Up; First Joint Speech Today

[Anchor]

Candidates for party leader and supreme council member running in the Democratic Party's national convention on August 17 pledged to conduct a fair campaign today (July 20). The candidates will gather for the first time this afternoon to deliver joint speeches, officially kicking off the preliminary race.

Reporter Kim Kwan-jin has the story.

[Reporter]

Nineteen candidates running for party leader and supreme council member in the August 17 national convention have gathered in one place.

The candidates signed a pledge promising not to spread false information, provide money or entertainment, or engage in slander and smear campaigns during the election process.

[Park Hee-seung/Democratic Party Lawmaker (Central Party Election Management Committee): We will abide by the party constitution, regulations, and the decisions of the Central Party Election Management Committee, approach the election with a fair and upright attitude, and absolutely accept the election results.]

Floor Leader Han Byung-do requested that the candidates engage in a fierce yet dignified competition.

[Han Byung-do/Democratic Party Floor Leader: Just like the history of the Democratic Party, which has always been strong and victorious when united, I hope the August 17 national convention will become a melting pot that brings together the values and vision of the Democratic Party.]

Five candidates are running for the party leadership, including former Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, former party leader Jung Chung-rae, Representative Song Young-gil, Representative Ko Min-jung, and former Gangjin County Council member Kim Bo-mi.

A total of 14 candidates, including incumbent lawmakers, local government heads, and figures outside the National Assembly, have thrown their hats into the ring for the supreme council member positions.

The candidates will face off for the first time at a joint speech event held at the Democratic Party's central headquarters at 5:00 PM today.

Candidates for party leader will be given 7 minutes to speak, while supreme council member candidates will have 5 minutes.

The Democratic Party will narrow the field through a preliminary race running until July 23, reducing the number of party leader candidates from 5 to 3, and supreme council member candidates from 14 to 8.

The preliminary race for party leader will be conducted with one vote per person, reflecting 35% of votes from central committee members, 35% from party members with voting rights, and 30% from public opinion polls. For supreme council members, the candidates advancing to the main race will be determined by reflecting 50% of votes from central committee members and 50% from party members with voting rights.

(Video Editing: Yoo Mi-ra)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.