The Korea Times

Ruling party to pick new leader at national convention in August

The ruling Democratic Party or Korea (DPK) plans to hold a national convention in August to elect a new leader, officials said Monday, following its landslide victory in last week's local elections. The DPK leadership reached a consensus to hold the convention on Aug. 17, Rep. Jo Seoung-lae, secretary general of the party, told reporters at the National Assembly after a meeting of the party's supreme council. The new leader will replace Rep. Jung Chung-rae, a four-term lawmaker who has come under growing pressure within the party after the DPK lost key battlegrounds in the recent elections, including the Seoul mayoral race and a parliamentary by-election in Busan, despite winning 12 of the 16 mayoral and gubernatorial seats. Rep. Jung is widely expected to seek another term. Other potential contenders include Prime Minister Kim Min-seok who offered to resign last week, and Rep. Song Young-gil, a former DPK leader who returned to the National Assembly as a six-term lawmaker after winning a seat in the recent by-elections. If four or more candidates run for the party leader, the DPK will ho