Ruling party to pick new leader at national convention in August

SEOUL, June 8 (Yonhap) — The ruling Democratic Party (DP) plans to hold a national convention in August to elect a new leader, officials said Monday, following its landslide victory in last week’s local elections.

The DP leadership reached a consensus to hold the convention on Aug. 17, Rep. Jo Seoung-lae, secretary general of the party, told reporters at the National Assembly after a meeting of the party’s supreme council.

The new leader will replace Rep. Jung Chung-rae, a four-term lawmaker who has come under growing pressure within the party after the DP lost key battlegrounds in the recent elections, including the Seoul mayoral race and a parliamentary by-election in Busan, despite winning 12 of the 16 mayoral and gubernatorial seats.

Rep. Jung is widely expected to seek another term.

Other potential contenders include Prime Minister Kim Min-seok who offered to resign last week, and Rep. Song Young-gil, a former DP leader who returned to the National Assembly as a six-term lawmaker after winning a seat in the recent by-elections.

If four or more candidates run for the party leader, the DP will hold a preliminary primary before the main primary, followed by regional primaries to elect the party chief and supreme council members, according to the party.