The Day of Decision Dawns for the 'Myeong-Nak Showdown' Democratic Party Stronghold Honam Region Primary Election

Both Lee Jae-myung and Lee Nak-yeon Camps Confident of 1st Place

Lee Jae-myung Camp: "Will Use 1st Place in Honam as a Stepping Stone to Advance to the Finals"

Lee Nak-yeon Camp: "Regained 1st Place in Honam... Possible Comeback in Runoff Vo

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Yoon Jamin] The day of the Honam region primary, expected to be the biggest battleground in the Democratic Party presidential primary, has dawned.

The Honam regional primaries will begin on the 25th with Gwangju and Jeonnam, followed by Jeonbuk on the 26th.

So far, candidates who have ranked first in Honam have often advanced to the presidential election final round.

Also, the Honam electoral college, consisting of about 200,000 voters from Gwangju, Jeonnam, and Jeonbuk, is the largest outside the metropolitan area, making the two-day Honam regional primary the final decisive battleground.

Currently, Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung, who is leading with 53.71% and has surpassed the majority, is highly likely to advance directly to the final election without a runoff if he also ranks first in Honam.

However, former Representative Lee Nak-yeon, whose hometown is Honam, has recently been shown to be ahead of Lee in opinion polls. If Lee Nak-yeon blocks Lee Jae-myung’s majority and takes first place, a dramatic comeback through a runoff is also possible.

Both Lee Jae-myung’s and Lee Nak-yeon’s camps are confident of securing first place in the Honam primary.

Lee Jae-myung’s camp believes that demands for explanations regarding the Daejang-dong preferential treatment allegations have been perceived as 'negative campaigning,' which has instead caused voter backlash.

A representative from Lee’s campaign said, “Candidate Lee Jae-myung will surpass the majority in Honam as well, and with overwhelming majority support in the second Super Week on the 3rd of next month, he will advance directly as the final candidate.”

Former Representative Lee Nak-yeon, who has taken a last-ditch step by resigning from the National Assembly, also declares he will take first place in the Honam regional primary.

He aims to create a foothold for a comeback in his hometown Honam and overturn the results in the runoff.

As a result, Lee Jae-myung’s controversial ‘watermelon debate’ remarks, which were criticized as disparaging Honam, and the Daejang-dong preferential treatment allegations have become a foothold for Lee Nak-yeon’s counterattack.

A representative from Lee Nak-yeon’s camp said, “Whether it will shake the entire race remains to be seen, but the public sentiment in Honam has already turned, and we are confident of first place,” adding, “Lee Nak-yeon’s frame emphasizing ‘an unstable candidate’ versus ‘a stable candidate’ in the final election is also playing a role.”

Opinion polls also show a neck-and-neck race between the two candidates within the margin of error.

In a poll conducted by KBC through the polling agency Research View from the 22nd for two days, targeting 1,000 voters aged 18 and over in Gwangju, Jeonnam, and Jeonbuk, Lee Jae-myung was ahead with 42.3%, followed by Lee Nak-yeon at 39.8%, a 2.5 percentage point lead within the margin of error (±3.1%). Former Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae (3.8%), Representative Park Yong-jin (2.4%), and Representative Kim Du-kwan (1.8%) followed.

In another poll conducted by Mudeung Ilbo through Research View on the 20th and 21st targeting 1,600 adults aged 18 and over in Gwangju and Jeonnam, and announced on the 23rd, Lee Nak-yeon led with 40.4%, followed by Lee Jae-myung at 38.0%, a 2.4 percentage point difference within the margin of error. Former Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae (4.6%), Representative Park Yong-jin (2.5%), and Representative Kim Du-kwan (1.8%) followed.

Meanwhile, in the first Super Week tally on the 12th, Lee Jae-myung secured 51.41%, leading with a majority, while Lee Nak-yeon finished second with 31.08%. After former Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun, who withdrew mid-race, had his votes invalidated by the party election commission, Lee Jae-myung’s share rose to 53.71%, and Lee Nak-yeon’s to 32.46%.

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