The Koreas | Politics | East Asia
With Former Prime Minister Kim Min-seok’s formal confirmation of his bid for the leadership, the race may likely be intense, given the tensions between the pro-Lee and pro-Jung factions.
Kim Min-seok, then the prime minister of South Korea, addresses a meeting of the State Council on Apr. 29, 2026.
On July 7, former South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok declared his candidacy in the upcoming election to determine the next chair of the ruling Democratic Party. In doing so, Kim accused Jung Chung-rae, a former leader of the DP, of self-serving politics that kept the party from converting President Lee Jae-myung’s approval ratings into legislative wins.
The race will likely be intense. Jung is expected to formally announce his candidacy in the coming days; he resigned his post last month to run for the election. Son Yong-gil, a six-term lawmaker who returned to the National Assembly after winning a June 3 by-election, and Ko Min-jung, a National Assembly member and former TV and radio host, also joined the race on July 8.
