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Democratic Party leadership candidates Jung Chung-rae (left) and Park Chan-dae. / Source: Yonhap News

The Democratic Party (DP) has decided to consolidate its party leadership election into a single day on August 2, in light of ongoing nationwide flood recovery efforts. The party also announced that its televised debate will now air on KBS instead of JTBC.

On July 22, the DP held meetings of its Party Affairs Committee and Central Election Commission, finalizing a revised schedule that prioritizes disaster response.

As a result, the regional votes originally scheduled for July 26 (Honam) and July 27 (Gyeonggi and Incheon) have been postponed and will now be held alongside the Seoul, Gangwon, and Jeju primaries on August 2. Voting by rights-holding party members in these regions will take place between July 30 and August 2. Public polling will be conducted on July 31 and August 1.

The televised candidate debate has also been rescheduled. Rep. Lim Ho-seon, deputy chair of the party's election commission, said, “The July 23 debate previously scheduled with JTBC has been canceled to focus on flood recovery. Instead, it will air on KBS 1TV at 8:10 p.m. on July 27.”

The party has also adjusted its automated response (ARS) system used to distribute voting records. Previously, voter lists were split between two agencies based on odd or even phone number endings. For the unified vote, the lists will now be sorted by region and assigned to three agencies regardless of phone number.

Lim also addressed concerns about escalating tensions between candidates Jung Chung-rae and Park Chan-dae. “We will continue monitoring the situation, and if necessary, the relevant committee will step in,” he said.