[Anchor]

In the race for the Democratic Party's Supreme Council members, candidate Choi Min-hee, who is close to party leader candidate Chung Chung-rae, has reclaimed the top spot. Overnight, two pro-Lee Jae-myung candidates with the lowest vote shares stepped down, urging voters to back candidate Kim Yong, who is locked in a tight battle with pro-Chung Chung-rae candidates for the crucial 5th-place slot that guarantees a seat.

Reporter Kim Kwan-jin has the story.

[Reporter]

Following the primary voting by ordinary party members in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province for the Democratic Party Supreme Council candidates, the rankings from 1st to 5th place were Choi Min-hee, Lee Sung-yoon, Han Min-su, Park Sun-won, and Seo Mi-hwa.

In terms of cumulative voter turnout rates across regions, candidate Choi Min-hee took 1st place with 16.91%, while candidate Park Sun-won placed 2nd with 16.60%, trailing by a narrow margin of 0.3 percentage points.

Until last week, pro-Chung candidate Choi held the cumulative lead, but after the Honam primaries, pro-Lee candidate Park surged to the top. The Seoul and Gyeonggi results have now flipped the standings once again.

The candidate who finishes 1st in the Supreme Council race gains significant political symbolism as the senior Supreme Council member. Choi and Park clashed during their campaign speeches over assessments of the preceding Chung Chung-rae leadership.

[Choi Min-hee / Democratic Party Supreme Council Candidate]: "At some point, you get branded as 'anti-Lee,' labeled as Shincheonji, and mocked for having the IQ of a crucian carp."

[Park Sun-won / Democratic Party Supreme Council Candidate]: "Who is making us vulnerable and unsettled? It is none other than the outdated leadership."

With 5 winners chosen out of 8 candidates, competition for the final 5th-place seat is fiercely contested between the pro-Lee and pro-Chung factions.

The outcome of the 5th-place battle will determine whether the elected Supreme Council composition leans 3 to 2 in favor of the pro-Lee faction or conversely gives the pro-Chung faction a 3 to 2 advantage.

Reflecting the Seoul and Gyeonggi results, the cumulative rankings for 4th, 5th, and 6th place were pro-Chung candidate Lee Sung-yoon, pro-Chung candidate Han Min-su, and pro-Lee candidate Kim Yong, in that order.

[Kim Yong / Democratic Party Supreme Council Candidate]: "Following the local elections, the former party leader's evasion of responsibility, self-serving politics, and divisive tactics riding on them..."

[Lee Sung-yoon / Democratic Party Supreme Council Candidate]: "Did a party leader who used to be prime minister not just remain severe, serious, and cautious without ever executing proper reforms, ultimately losing power to the administration, everyone?"

With the cumulative vote gap between 4th and 6th place standing at a mere 0.3 percentage points, and only about 2,000 votes separating 5th-place pro-Chung candidate Han and 6th-place pro-Lee candidate Kim, the public opinion polls and delegate votes being tallied today (the 17th) serve as the ultimate deciding variables.

While the newly elected party leader can separately appoint two designated Supreme Council members, the composition of elected Supreme Council members carries a different political stature and will significantly influence party operations.

(Photo courtesy of: Kim Yong-woo, Video Editing: Lee Seung-hee)