Honam Holds the Key in Party Leadership Race: Kim Minseok Stresses 'Unity', Chung Cheongrae 'Loyalty', Song Younggil as 'Son of Honam'

The Decisive Battleground with 35% of Registered Party Members

Kim Minseok and Chung Cheongrae Separated by Just 1.48 Percentage Points

Honam Regional Voting Results to Be Announced on the Night of the 15th

The Democratic Party of Korea's leadership race, with a slim gap of 1.48 percentage points, has reached the crucial showdown in the Honam region. With approximately 35% of all registered party members concentrated in this pivotal area, candidate Kim Minseok emphasized 'unity between the party and the Blue House,' Chung Cheongrae highlighted his 'loyalty to President Lee Jae-myung,' and Song Younggil positioned himself as 'the son of Honam.' All three candidates appealed for support by invoking the slogan, "If there is no Honam, there is no country to govern."

The three candidates faced off at a joint rally held at the Multipurpose Gymnasium in Naju Sports Park, Jeonnam Gwangju Metropolitan City, on the 15th. The cumulative voting rates stood at 46.01% for Kim, 44.53% for Chung, and 9.47% for Song. Depending on how the Honam region votes, the ranking between Kim and Chung could be reversed.

Candidates Minseok Kim, Cheongrae Jung, and Younggil Song (from left) running for the Democratic Party of Korea leadership election raise their hands together at the joint speech event held on the 15th at the Multipurpose Gymnasium of the Comprehensive Sports Park in Naju, Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City. Photo by Bohyun Song

Kim interpreted the significance of "If there is no Honam" according to each era. He said, "In Admiral Yi Sun-sin's time, without Honam, we could not defend the country; in Kim Dae-jung's era, democracy could not be protected without Honam." He added, "Under President Lee Jae-myung, without Honam, there is no AI, no new leap forward, and no advanced Republic of Korea."

He then mentioned the 'Honam Mega Project' being promoted by the Lee Jae-myung administration, explaining, "It is a project to start semiconductor manufacturing, previously limited to the greater Seoul area, in Honam, and then connect it to Chungcheong and Yeongnam, turning the entire country into a semiconductor powerhouse." He appealed for support, emphasizing, "This isn't about giving preferential treatment to Honam, but rather, it's a national prosperity project to revitalize Honam and the provinces, the Seoul capital area, and Korea as a whole. I will stake everything on its success."

Kim also stressed that the party and the Blue House must speak with one voice for the success of the administration. He said, "If the election falters and approval ratings drop, national projects will falter. It can't be the result of party-Blue House conflict. There must be unwavering and perfect unity." He continued, "I know about President Lee Jae-myung's deep affection for Honam, and I share an infinite responsibility for the success of the Honam Mega Project."

Regarding the controversy over People Power Party lawmaker Lee Jinsook's actions at the May 18 commemoration, Kim stated, "We will revise the National Assembly Act so that with a majority vote, we can suspend her qualifications for a year and effectively remove her from the National Assembly."

Before his speech, Chung bowed deeply to the party members. He emphasized the political legacy of former president Kim Dae-jung, stating, "Without Honam, there would be no country, no democracy, and no Democratic Party." Chung said, "Because of President Kim Dae-jung's ailing leg, the Republic of Korea was able to walk straight. His policies in information technology and culture and arts led Korea to become a powerhouse in the internet and cultural fields."

Quoting former President Roh Moo-hyun, Chung said, "If you want to be treated with respect, you must keep your loyalty. Chung Cheongrae will be loyal to the party. Chung Cheongrae will be loyal to President Lee Jae-myung," he pledged. He also stated, "I will ensure the success of the Lee Jae-myung administration, together with those who supported Kim Dae-jung, Roh Moo-hyun, Moon Jae-in, and also with all the democratic citizens of Korea who voted for Lee Jae-myung."

For Honam's development, Chung put forth the AI and semiconductor industries. He asserted, "Gwangju will go beyond being sacred ground for democratization and become a global leader in AI and the advance base for the semiconductor cluster. With Chung Cheongrae's drive, determination, and sense of urgency, I will ensure our success." He also mentioned winning the general elections and regaining power through the integration and unity of all democratic and progressive forces.

As the only candidate among the three originally from Honam, Song Younggil spotlighted his political background. He said, "I was the first to be recruited by President Kim Dae-jung as new blood, served as an aide to Roh Moo-hyun, chief campaign manager and chairman of the Northern Economic Cooperation Committee for Moon Jae-in, and chief campaign manager for Lee Jae-myung." He stated that he is "the true root of the Democratic Party lineage."

Alluding to the phrase, "If there is no Honam, there is no country to govern," Song put a spin on it, saying, "If there is no Younggil, there is no Lee Jae-myung." He appealed, "Support Song Younggil to back up President Lee Jae-myung's administration." He also mentioned, "President Lee Jae-myung and I are comrades who survived hammer and knife attacks together—we have literally crossed death's path side by side."

He pledged, "I will set Honam politics on the right path, inherit the spirit of Kim Dae-jung, Roh Moo-hyun, and Moon Jae-in, and work with President Lee Jae-myung to open a new window for inter-Korean relations." He added that with the completion of prosecutorial reform, the next step must now be judicial reform.

Song targeted Chung over the outcome of the June 3 local elections, calling it "window-dressing" to claim victory. "Don't we need a new manager to correct the window-dressing and truly bring about real change?" he argued. He also appealed, "The son of Honam has returned," further seeking support.

Candidates for the Democratic Party of Korea's party leader and supreme councilor held hands and greeted party members at the joint speech meeting held on the 15th at the multipurpose gymnasium of the Naju Comprehensive Sports Park in Jeonnam Gwangju Integrated Special City. Photo by Bohyun Song

The Supreme Councilor candidates' speeches also continued the disputes surrounding the party leadership candidates. Han Minsoo criticized Kim for his claim of a 'three-way secret alliance of anti-Myung, divisive, and Shincheonji factions', while Lee Sungyoon took issue with Kim's comments on the Honam Mega Project. Kim Yong raised the issue of the former leadership’s responsibility for the outcome of the local elections, and Park Sunwon emphasized the need for new leadership to work closely with President Lee Jae-myung.

After holding a joint rally in Jeonnam Gwangju on this day, the Democratic Party of Korea held another at the Culture and Sports Gymnasium of Wonkwang University in Iksan, North Jeolla Province, and then announced the results of the Honam region’s full-member vote. The next day, on the 16th, a rotation primary will be held in Seoul and Gyeonggi, and on the 17th, the next party leader will be chosen at the national convention in Daejeon.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.