Photo: Lee Jae-myung at the Democratic Party national convention. Credit: Democratic Party of Korea.
Assembly Member Lee Jae-myung 이재명 국회의원 clinched the leadership for the opposition Democratic Party 민주당 as the police investigated his wife for using KRW 78k (USD 60) in campaign funds.
Lee, former presidential candidate of the liberal opposition, handily won the final round of voting set in Seoul 서울 and Gyeonggi-do Province 경기도, earning 75.6% and 80.2% of the votes respectively. With a cumulative vote total of 78.2%, Lee assumed the party chairman position in the national convention held on August 28.
The Democratic Party also elected five executive committee members: Jeong Cheong-rae 정청래 with 27.7% of the total votes; Go Min-jeong 고민정 with 22.0%; Park Chan-dae 박찬대, 13.0%; Jang Gyeong-tae 장경태 with 12.4%, and; Seo Yeong-gyo 서영교, 11.6%.
All except Go are considered allies of Lee; two candidates backed by former Prime Minister Lee Nak-yeon 이낙연 전 총리, who was engaged in a bruising battle against Lee Jae-myung in the presidential primaries, both failed to be elected.