Former Prime Minister Kim Min-seok Elected Leader of Ruling Democratic Party

Former Prime Minister Kim Min-seok was elected the new leader of the ruling Democratic Party (DP) on Monday during a national convention in Daejeon. Kim won 54.08 percent of the vote, defeating Rep. Jung Chung-rae, who received 45.92 percent. The winner was determined using a newly adopted ranked choice voting system after no candidate secured a majority in the initial round, which saw former leader Song Young-gil finish third. This election was the first DP leadership race to utilize a one person, one vote system, combining votes from party delegates and dues paying members with a public opinion poll.

Kim, a close ally of President Lee Jae Myung, stepped down as prime minister earlier this year to run for the position. In his acceptance speech, Kim pledged that the party would work for the success of President Lee and his administration, describing the intended relationship between the party and the presidential office as a creative horizontal partnership. He also vowed to implement sweeping changes to the party's language, policies, attitude, and culture.

The party also elected five new members to its nine member Supreme Council: Reps. Choi Min-hee, Lee Sung-yoon, Han Min-soo, Park Sun-won, and Seo Mi-hwa. While Kim is expected to maintain majority control of the council, Rep. Choi Min-hee topped the race with 18.35 percent of the vote and is considered the party's third most powerful figure.

President Lee Jae Myung is scheduled to host a dinner at Cheong Wa Dae on Wednesday for Kim and the other leadership contenders, Jung and Song, to promote party unity and cooperation on state affairs. Kim's victory is widely seen as a move that will strengthen President Lee's grip over the ruling party as it prepares for the 2028 parliamentary elections. The DP currently holds 161 seats in the 300 member National Assembly, allowing it to pass legislation without opposition support.