DP elects Lee Jae-myung as leader for second term in landslide at national convention

Rep. Lee Jae-myung was reelected as the leader of the liberal Democratic Party in a landslide victory that cemented his hold on the party.

Lee Jae-myung, center, cheers after he is elected as the leader of the liberal Democratic Party (DP) for a second term at the DP’s national party convention held at the KSPO Dome in Olympic Park, Songpa District, eastern Seoul, on Sunday. He is joined by the five newly elected members of the DP’s supreme council, as well as Park Chan-dae, left, the DP floor leader. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

The liberal Democratic Party (DP) elected its former leader, Lee Jae-myung, as its head for a second term as he broke records at the party's national convention Sunday.

Lee, a DP lawmaker representing Incheon's Gyeyang-B District, secured a record 85.4 percent of the votes in an overwhelming victory against his two rivals.

He beat by a wide margin former Interior Minister Kim Doo-gwan, a former two-term lawmaker who received 12.12 percent of the votes, and Kim Ji-soo, a member of the South Gyeongsang provincial council, who trailed far behind at 2.48 percent.

This marks the first time in 24 years for the DP, and its predecessors, to reelect a leader for a second term since the late President Kim Dae-jung, who served as head of the liberal National Congress for New Politics from 1995 to 2000.

Lee's vote also exceeds the 77.7 percent he recorded in his victory in the 2022 DP national convention, where he was elected to his first term as party chairman, and marks the highest percentage lead ever in a DP leadership race.

The DP national convention began at 1 p.m. Sunday at the KSPO Dome in the Olympic Park in Songpa District, southern Seoul. It came as Lee had been anticipated to clinch the election without an upset, as he had received a cumulative approval rating of 89.9 percent in primaries held in 17 regions nationwide.

The DP also elected five out of eight supreme council members Sunday: Kim Min-seok, Jeon Hyun-heui, Han Jun-ho, Kim Byung-joo and Lee Un-ju.

"The most urgent task is to restore the people's livelihoods and the economy, but there is no need to limit the agenda if we can give hope to the people," Lee said after his national convention win Sunday.

Lee then formally proposed a two-way meeting with President Yoon Suk Yeol.

Yoon and Lee held their first formal meeting in late April, following the rival conservative People Power Party's (PPP) defeat in the general election.

"It was disappointing that we were unable to achieve any significant results in the previous meeting immediately after the April general election," Lee said. "As we agreed to meet again at any time to communicate and discuss national affairs at the last meeting, I look forward to a response from the president."

Lee during his second term as DP leader is expected to focus on cooperating with the PPP on issues related to people's livelihoods while buttressing ways to counteract Yoon's use of the presidential veto on DP-led bills in the National Assembly, where the DP holds a majority.

He likewise suggested a meeting with the PPP's new leader, Han Dong-hoon, calling for the two to "discuss urgent issues informally."

Lee Jae-myung, waves a party flag after he elected as the leader of the liberal Democratic Party (DP) for a second term at the national convention held at the KSPO Dome in Olympic Park, Songpa District, eastern Seoul, on Sunday. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

In late June, Lee Jae-myung resigned as DP chairman in June to be eligible to run for reelection in accordance with party regulations.

Lee, a former Gyeonggi governor, became DP chief in August 2022 following his razor-thin defeat in the presidential election to the conservative PPP candidate, President Yoon.

He has faced a slew of legal troubles, including corruption charges related to land development scandals in Seongnam, Gyeonggi, during his time as the city's mayor. He has also been accused of being involved in underwear maker Ssangbangwool Group's unauthorized remittances to North Korea in 2019.

Lee's latest leadership race victory puts him closer to his candidacy in the 2027 presidential election.

BY SARAH KIM [kim.sarah@joongang.co.kr]