Lee Won-taek of the Democratic Party has emerged victorious in the Jeonbuk gubernatorial race, defeating independent candidate Kim Kwan-young. The Democratic Party has successfully retained its stronghold in the region.
As of 2:40 a.m., Lee was leading Kim by nearly 10 percentage points, with results indicating a clear path to victory.
Upon confirming his win, Lee stated, "Today’s victory is not just mine, but a great win for the people of Jeonbuk who believe in the future of our province and in the Democratic Party and the Lee Jae-myung government."
The election process saw tensions between the Democratic Party leadership and Kim, making Jeonbuk an unexpectedly competitive battleground. There were concerns that if Kim won reelection, it could jeopardize the party leadership.
Previously, Kim was expelled from the Democratic Party over allegations of bribery, which he contested as a hasty decision by the leadership. Following his expulsion, Lee and lawmaker Ahn Ho-young competed in a primary, with Lee ultimately being selected as the candidate.
However, Lee’s victory in the primary was also marred by controversy, as allegations surfaced regarding the party's fairness in the selection process, particularly concerning meal expenses during the campaign. Ahn, after Lee's nomination, demanded an investigation into these allegations and even staged a hunger strike, which led to him being hospitalized.
With Lee's election, the government and the Democratic Party are expected to collaborate on the Saemangeum project, a major issue for the Jeonbuk region, potentially accelerating progress on this initiative.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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