Seoul: Former Prime Minister Kim Min-seok emerged victorious in the Democratic Party's (DP) primaries held in Gwangju and Jeolla Province, surpassing his two competitors in the ongoing leadership race. Kim achieved a commanding 57.54 percent of the vote share from the regions of Gwangju and North and South Jeolla provinces, outperforming his closest challenger, Jung Chung-rae, who garnered 32.65 percent. Song Young-gil, a previous leader of the DP, finished in third place with 9.81 percent of the votes.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Kim's triumph on Saturday bolstered his leading position in the leadership contest, just ahead of the party congress on Monday, where the election of the new leader will occur. The forthcoming leader is anticipated to play an instrumental role in managing the selection of candidates for the April 2028 parliamentary elections.

Kim is currently leading the race in cumulative votes, holding 52.21 percent, while Jung follows with 38.14 percent. The Democratic Party has completed five out of six regional primary rounds. The concluding primary will be held in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province on Sunday.

Kim's performance has been strong across the primary rounds, securing victories in the central Chungcheong region, Incheon and Jeju Island, Gangwon Province, Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province, and Gwangju and Jeolla Province. However, he faced a setback against Jung in the regions of Busan, Ulsan, and South Gyeongsang Province.