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Lee Jae-myung, a Democratic Party contender for president, gives a campaign speech on Sunday at the Democratic Party primary’s second super week event held in Incheon, Gyeonggi Province. (National Assembly pool photo)

Lee Jae-myung, governor of Gyeonggi Province and a leading presidential candidate for the Democratic Party, won a resounding victory in the second poll of party electors on Sunday, with 58.17% of the vote. This was his strongest showing in any of the primaries to date.

Lee has claimed 54.9% (545,537) of the total votes cast through Sunday, making it more likely that he’ll move on to the presidential election without a runoff.

The results of a second poll of ordinary party members and the general public that were announced at Songdo Convensia, in Incheon, on Sunday showed that Lee had garnered 172,237 votes, representing 58.17% of the total.

Lee Nak-yon placed second with 99,140 votes (33.48%), while Choo Mi-ae (5.82%) and Park Yong-jin (2.53%) trailed far behind. The results of a poll of party voting members and regional delegates from Incheon were revealed on the same day, with Lee Jae-myung receiving 53.88% of the vote and Lee Nak-yon getting 35.45%.

Combining the results of the first and second electoral college polls with regional primaries that have been held so far in the Chungcheong, Yeongnam (North and South Gyeongsang Province, Busan, Daegu, Ulsan), Honam (North and South Jeolla Province, Gwangju), and Jeju regions of the country shows that Lee Jae-myung holds a 54.90% share of the total (545,537 votes). That’s 20.57 points above Lee Nak-yon’s share of 34.33% (341,076 votes).

The gap between Lee Jae-myung and Lee Nak-yon’s cumulative share of the vote thus far has widened to 204,469. Choo Mi-ae is in a distant third, with a cumulative share of 9.14%, while Park Yong-jin ranks fourth, at 1.63%.

The primary results on Sunday increase the likelihood that Lee Jae-myung will clinch the Democratic Party’s nomination without a runoff. Presuming that around 70% of 2.16 million electors take part in the primaries, the “magic number” for skipping the runoff is estimated to be a little over 750,000.

If Lee receives upwards of roughly 200,000 votes in the Gyeonggi Province primary (164,508 voters) on Saturday and the Seoul primary (144,216 voters) and the third poll of electors (305,780 voters) on Oct. 10, he will automatically become the Democratic Party’s candidate for president.

“Going forward, I will regard this as the public’s stern demand to fight even more fiercely against the construction clique, vested interests, and the forces of corruption,” Lee Jae-myung told reporters after the results were announced.

The Gyeonggi Province governor said, “I can’t take any region of the country for granted. I can’t lose focus, even for a moment, and I’ll do my best while staying humble.”

“I appreciate those who gave me their vote and will also take into consideration the wishes of those who didn’t. I think I still have a chance,” Lee Nak-yon said.

By Song Chae Kyung-hwa, staff reporter

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