Song Young-gil: "Why Did Jeong Chung-rae Run Instead of Resting? Voting for Me Won't Waste Your Vote"

Democratic Party leadership candidate Song Young-gil appealed to party supporters in the Honam region today, stating, "Even if you vote for Song Young-gil as number one and Kim Min-seok as number two, your votes will not go to waste."

Candidate Song made the remarks during a "Yeosu Citizens' Empathy Talk" held at the Yeosu City Council in the South Jeolla-Gwangju Unified Special City.

"No one, not a single candidate, can secure a majority," he stated.

"Looking at the voting results, we received 10% in Busan, Ulsan, South Gyeongsang Province, and Chungcheong Province as well," he explained. "The idea of pushing candidate Kim Min-seok in the first round of voting to win a 51% majority just to block Jeong Chung-rae is impossible."

He went on to emphasize, "If Song Young-gil ends up in last place even in Honam, how could I show my face anywhere and continue in politics? For the sake of Song Young-gil's future and the center of Honam politics, if our comrades in Honam vote for Song Young-gil and then vote for Kim Min-seok as number two, everything will be sorted out without any wasted votes."

He also kept candidate Jeong Chung-rae in check, asking, "Why is he trying to run? He should just take a rest."

"He has neglected and jumped on the bandwagon of writer Yu Si-min and a series of currents that hurl curses at the Lee Jae-myung administration, without uttering a single word of criticism or opposition," candidate Song criticized. "And yet, they say he shouted the president's name 30 times during his declaration to run. Isn't that like a stalker?"

"Is he running [for party leader] to fight with the president? He is trying to become the opposition party leader now," he pointed out, adding, "It is so regrettable, and those around him who care for candidate Jeong are leading him astray out of their own greed."

"What will happen if he comes out here and gets hurt?" he added. "The president even offered him a cabinet position, so what did he do so well that he stepped up to run for party leader? [That is why] I, Song Young-gil, had to step up."

Meanwhile, regarding rumors about his own appointment to the cabinet, candidate Song said, "Why wouldn't I have the desire to help the president by becoming a minister? I am ready to do whatever I am asked." However, he added, "I decided to run because establishing a proper relationship between the party and the presidential office is far more important than joining the cabinet."

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.