Kim Min-seok, a candidate for the leadership of the Democratic Party, stated on August 6 that he expects to win with first-choice votes in the upcoming party convention. He believes it is possible to secure a majority without preference voting.
During an appearance on the YouTube program 'News Factory' hosted by Kim Eo-jun, Kim said, "I anticipate that I will either approach or exceed a majority in Honam, which will give me an advantage. I also expect to achieve at least a near majority in the capital region."
He specifically noted the results from the recent preliminary contests in the Chungcheong region and Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam, stating, "Even if I lag by about 7 percentage points, I believe I can win without preference voting."
Looking ahead to the upcoming preliminary contests in Jeju, Incheon, Gangwon, Daegu, and Gyeongbuk, he remarked, "A tie is a realistic goal, and anything beyond that would be favorable."
Kim emphasized, "I believe there is a 99.9% chance that the final decision will be made without preference voting." However, he acknowledged that if the outcome were determined by preference voting, it could raise fairness concerns, as a candidate finishing second in first-choice votes could win due to preference voting influence.
In response, Kim stated, "If the conclusion is reached through preference voting, it is the rule we established." Jung Cheong-rae, another candidate, also expressed his willingness to accept the results during the same broadcast the previous day.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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