"Server Crashed" on First Day of People Power Party Member Vote 'Hit'... Lee Jun-seok Says "If Over 70%, I'll Cut Carbs"

As of 3 PM, voter turnout recorded at 40.15%
Lee Jun-seok "If turnout exceeds 70%, I will cut carbohydrates for a month"

People Power Party presidential primary candidates Won Hee-ryong, Yoo Seung-min, Yoon Seok-youl, and Hong Joon-pyo (from left). / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Na Ye-eun] The enthusiasm is heating up as the mobile voting rate among party members for selecting the People Power Party's presidential candidate exceeded 40% within the first 6 hours on the first day.

According to the People Power Party, the mobile voting that started at 9 a.m. on the 1st recorded a turnout rate of 40.15% as of 3 p.m. that day. A total of 227,073 people cast their votes. This figure surpasses the 38.77% turnout rate on the first day of mobile voting for the party's second cut-off (preliminary primary) held on October 6.

Party leader Lee Jun-seok emphasized at the party's Supreme Council meeting that day, "Our mobile voting has started, and I heard the server crashed. To further ignite the strong desire of the people for regime change, our party's presidential candidate must be selected with greater support from party members."

He continued, "This primary has more enthusiasm and interest than ever before. I hope the turnout reaches 70%," and urged, "Please encourage party members to participate in voting as much as possible so that when our candidate is selected, they can feel that they have the support of many party members and the public."

On the previous day (the 31st), Leader Lee also made a pledge regarding voter turnout, saying, "If the turnout exceeds 70%, I will cut carbohydrates for a month." Currently, he has written on his Facebook profile, "I am practicing a low-carb, high-fat (LCHF) diet."

The candidates also launched their final all-out efforts. On the same day, candidate Yoon Seok-yeol said, "I want to say to the new party members who joined our party through the last party convention along with Leader Lee Jun-seok, let us sing hope together," adding, "I will be a bridge to a harsh world for future generations."

Candidate Hong Joon-pyo also said, "I firmly believe that the party's support has returned as the only alternative for regime change has shifted to Hong Joon-pyo." In particular, he posted a message titled "An Appeal to the Residents and Party Members of Daegu and Gyeongbuk" on his Facebook, urging, "Please put the finishing touch on Hong Joon-pyo's victory with overwhelming support from Daegu and Gyeongbuk."

Meanwhile, the People Power Party is conducting mobile voting for party members from the 1st to the 2nd, and for party members who did not participate in mobile voting, telephone voting (ARS) will be held from the 3rd to the 4th. Afterwards, the results will be combined 50% each with the general public opinion poll conducted on the 3rd and 4th to determine the final People Power Party presidential candidate on the afternoon of the 5th.

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