In the Democratic Party's regional primary held on August 8, Kim Min-seok emerged victorious, receiving 22,537 votes, surpassing Jeong Cheong-rae, who garnered 19,862 votes. This win marks Kim's success in all regions except for the Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam area, where the primary took place on August 1.
During the primary held at the Incheon Namdong Gymnasium, Kim led the voting, securing 8,742 votes in Jeju and 13,795 votes in Incheon, while Jeong received 6,625 votes in Jeju and 13,237 votes in Incheon. Song Young-gil received a total of 4,799 votes, with 1,240 in Jeju and 3,559 in Incheon.
Before the announcement of the primary results, the candidates presented their platforms at a joint speech event at the Incheon Namdong Gymnasium, aiming to win over party supporters.
Jeong continued to challenge Kim during the joint speech, stating, "The essence of this convention is to judge a candidate who has divided the party and caused distress among members through baseless allegations of factionalism and conspiracy." He demanded an apology from Kim for allegedly putting the party in jeopardy.
Song reiterated his commitment to judicial reform, emphasizing the need to impeach Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae. He criticized Jeong, saying, "The need now is to impeach Chief Justice Cho. Jeong, who has passed reforms in prosecutorial and criminal procedure laws, does not need to be re-elected. Even a bone soup loses its flavor after being boiled three times."
In contrast, Kim appealed for support with tailored promises for the Incheon area, stating, "As we face challenges in regions like Incheon’s old downtown, we need strategies to overcome these issues. Incheon, aspiring to be a global metropolis, deserves to be treated with respect." He declared, "I will usher in an era of local-led politics to support local growth and create a platform for collaboration among the central government, Incheon City, the National Assembly, and the Incheon City Council to seek development for Incheon."
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.