Online Voting Begins for the Democratic Party Convention... Will 'Eodaenak' Continue?

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Nahum] As the Democratic Party's August 29 leadership election race enters its final stage, interest is growing as to whether the so-called 'Eodaenak (Anyway, the party leader will be Lee Nak-yeon)' trend will solidify or if there will be an upset.

According to the Democratic Party on the 24th, online voting for party members with voting rights began at 9 a.m. From the 26th, online voting by delegates nationwide will take place over two days, followed by the election of the convention chair and revision of the party platform on the 28th, and online voting by central committee members on the 29th. Additionally, the KBS nationwide broadcast debate for party leader candidates will be held on the 25th, and MBC's '100-Minute Debate' (via video conference) on the 27th.

According to the voting schedule, the atmosphere of the convention should be heating up, but in reality, it is quite the opposite. Following the former Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon's incident and record-breaking heavy rains causing floods, the resurgence of COVID-19 has further distanced this convention from public attention.

Having effectively failed to generate excitement, the prevailing analysis is that Lee Nak-yeon's frontrunner status will remain solidified. Amid the crisis of declining party approval ratings, more weight is placed on Lee, who possesses stable leadership. In particular, the cancellation of TV debates and joint speeches in the Seoul metropolitan area eliminated opportunities for candidates Kim Boo-kyum and Park Joo-min to promote themselves, which worked to Lee's advantage.

Indeed, in the Democratic Party leadership preference survey released by Gallup Korea on the 21st, Lee Nak-yeon led overwhelmingly with 48% preference. Kim Boo-kyum had 15%, and Park Joo-min 8%.

While candidates Kim and Park are vigorously campaigning on social media, it is analyzed that overturning the frontrunner trend in less than a week will be difficult. Especially, Park expressed regret during a meeting with reporters that "due to COVID-19, there were many restrictions on meeting party members, and amid that, various incidents such as the floods drew attention," adding, "I campaigned mainly online, but I am not sure how effective it was."

Ultimately, there is speculation that considering their future political paths, the two candidates may realistically set their goal as 'second place.' Kim is mentioned as a future presidential candidate, and Park as a future Seoul mayoral candidate. Their political value could change depending on the leadership election results.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.