Seoul: Former Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung has been officially selected as the Democratic Party's presidential candidate, following a commanding victory in the party's primary election.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Lee, a prominent human rights lawyer-turned-politician, secured 89.77 percent of the votes, surpassing the threshold required to avoid a runoff and marking the highest vote percentage by a DP candidate since the democratization of South Korea in 1987. Lee has prioritized economic recovery and expressed willingness to engage in dialogue with North Korea as central components of his campaign platform.
Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon and former South Gyeongsang Province Governor Kim Kyung-soo trailed behind, garnering 6.87 percent and 3.36 percent of the votes, respectively. In his acceptance speech, Lee emphasized his commitment to national unity, describing it as both a political mission and the president's primary responsibility.
Lee's candidacy comes after his narrow defeat in the 2022 presidential election, where he lost to former President Yoon Suk Yeol by a mere 0.73 percentage point. As the upcoming presidential election approaches, scheduled for June 3, Lee is poised to lead his party's efforts to reclaim the presidency.