9 contenders register for ruling party’s presidential primary

Jul 01, 2021, 09:30 am

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Former Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun holds a press conference to announce the promise of the underground railway project in five major cities at the National Assembly in Seoul on June 30, 2021./ Photographed by Lee Byung-hwa

AsiaToday reporter Jeong Geum-min

Nine candidates have been confirmed to run in the ruling Democratic Party’s (DP) presidential primary. The part where we should focus is whether the eight chasing runners would unify to beat the party’s leading hopeful, Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung.

The ruling DP completed Wednesday the registration of preliminary candidates for the presidential election. They include two former prime ministers, Lee Nak-yon and Chung Sye-kyun, three incumbent governors including Lee Jae-myung, Yang Seung-jo and Choi Moon-soon, three incumbent lawmakers including Park Yong-jin, Kim Du-kwan, and Lee Kwang-jae, and former minister Choo Mi-ae.

Three candidates will be eliminated between July 9 and 11. Gov. Lee is expected to focus on solidifying his leading position without making a fuss about the movements of other competitors.

Lee, who has completed the registration as a preliminary candidate with the DP by entrusting Rep. Park Hong-geun to submit the application on Tuesday, will announce his presidential bid on Thursday. After announcing his official bid for presidency, he plans to visit the Tomb of the Unknown Warriors at Seoul National Cemetery, and then visit Andong in North Gyeongsang Province to spend one night. He intends to highlight the image of a candidate that embraces both conservatives and liberals by emphasizing the fact that he is a Democratic presidential candidate from the conservative stronghold of TK region – comprising Daegu and South Gyeongsang Province.

However, the ‘anti-Lee Jae-myung solidarity,’ triggered by the candidate unification negotiations between former Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun and Rep. Lee Kwang-jae, is considered as the biggest variable that would shake up the entire presidential race. As the two runners teamed up to discuss their presidential candidacies, former DP leader Lee Nak-yon is looking to discuss the issue.

Such unification movement is based on the calculation that a unified candidate could get an unexpected win in the final primary on September 5 if the remaining candidates unify their candidacies.

“Rep. Lee Kwang-jae and I have promised to unify (before the preliminary election on July 5) and the door for solidarity with other candidates remains open,” said former Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun during a press conference at the National Assembly to announce the promise of the underground railway project in five major cities.

“As you know, we have a runoff voting system. We can join forces when the preliminary is over, and the door remains open,” Chung added. Both former Prime Minister Chung and lawmaker Lee will visit Sejong, a symbol of balanced development, on July 1, and Gwangju, a symbol of democratization, on July 2.

Former leader Lee Nak-yon has also left the door open to join the coalition. “A coalition is something natural for those who share the same will for the succession and development of the democratic government, and it helps to enhance the dynamics of the primary election and recreate the government,” he said during a press conference at the Gwangju City Council.

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