Movement to Rally Support for Song Gap-seok, the Only Honam Candidate for Democratic Party Supreme Council Member

Party Convention Primary, Meaningful Votes in Areas with Relatively Weak Party Power 'Encouraging'

Expecting the Emergence of Politicians Who Continue Honam Politics and Represent Local Public Sentiment and Emotions

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] As the first week of the nationwide tour primary elections for the Democratic Party’s August 28 leadership election concludes, attention is focused on the future vote share of Assemblyman Song Gap-seok, the only candidate for Supreme Council member from outside the metropolitan area.

Locally, there is a strong call to support Assemblyman Song Gap-seok, saying that a Supreme Council member from Honam, the Democratic Party’s stronghold, is needed to serve as a bridge to convey the region’s public sentiment to the central government.

According to the Democratic Party on the 7th, based on the results of the Jeju and Incheon party member votes on that day and the votes from Gangwon, Daegu, and Gyeongbuk regions the day before, Candidate Song received a total of 3,742 votes, recording a cumulative vote share of 4.16%.

Candidate Jeong Cheong-rae ranked first with 38.40% (25,542 votes), Candidate Go Min-jung second with 22.24% (19,999 votes), Candidate Park Chan-dae third with 12.93% (11,627 votes), Candidate Jang Kyung-tae fourth with 10.92% (9,826 votes), Candidate Seo Young-kyo fifth with 8.97% (8,069 votes), Candidate Yoon Young-chan sixth with 7.71% (6,933 votes), and Candidate Go Young-in seventh with 4.67% (4,204 votes).

However, the absolute difference in vote counts is not large, so lower-ranked candidates are aiming for a turnaround in their home constituencies.

In particular, Candidate Song’s achievement of nearly 4,000 votes in regions where the party’s influence is relatively weak and where he has no local ties is analyzed as a meaningful vote count.

Candidate Song is not only the sole candidate from outside the metropolitan area but also the only candidate from Honam, the Democratic Party’s political stronghold. Therefore, there are concerns that if Honam continues to remain on the periphery of the central stage, the political lineage of Honam may be broken since former President Kim Dae-jung.

Given this situation, there is a growing movement locally to unite support for Candidate Song’s election as a Supreme Council member to genuinely represent Honam’s sentiment within the nationwide party, the Democratic Party.

Citizen Jeong Mo said, “We need to create a great figure who can carry on Honam’s political legacy and represent Honam, the party’s stronghold,” adding, “We must actively cast votes for Candidate Song Gap-seok to build a party that represents Honam’s sentiment and, furthermore, conveys the regional public’s voice to the center, rather than central politics concentrated in the metropolitan area.”

A representative from Candidate Song’s camp said, “If we look at the absolute number of votes rather than the vote share, it is a very meaningful vote count,” and added, “As the sole candidate from Honam, Assemblyman Song is stepping into central politics to represent regional sentiment and continue the political legacy, so please pay attention and watch closely.”

Candidate Song has declared himself “a reliable candidate to protect the Democratic Party” and has thrown his hat into the ring for the new leadership.

He said, “I have not engaged in politics that build factions or grow by confronting specific groups or individuals, and I have no intention of doing so in the future,” adding, “I will be a Supreme Council member who speaks what needs to be said based solely on common sense and principles while looking at public sentiment.”

He also emphasized that he will represent public sentiment from all over the country to ensure that no one experiences exclusion, marginalization, or discrimination.

Candidate Song appealed for support, saying, “I will build a Democratic Party that prioritizes people’s livelihoods and does not back down against the Yoon Seok-yeol administration’s abuses,” and “I will restore common sense and principles to create a Democratic Party loved by the people and present progressive values and visions that fit the changing times.”

Meanwhile, the Democratic Party plans to proceed with the following schedule: on the 13th, voting in Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam; on the 14th, voting in Chungnam, Chungbuk, Daejeon, and Sejong (with the first national public opinion poll results announced); on the 20th, Jeonbuk; on the 21st, Gwangju and Jeonnam; on the 27th, Seoul and Gyeonggi; and on the 28th, the second national public opinion poll and online voting by national delegates.

The final ranking will be determined by combining 40% from party members, 30% from delegates, 25% from national public opinion polls, and 5% from general party member opinion polls, with the top five becoming Supreme Council members and joining the leadership.

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