In the Gangwon-Daegu-Gyeongbuk regional primary to elect the next leadership of the Democratic Party of Korea, Kim Min-seok, a candidate for party leader, took first place, while Choi Min-hee led among the supreme council candidates.

At the joint debate held at the Daegu Interbulgo EXCO Hotel, fierce exchanges and remarks continued among the major candidates. The key primary results and candidates' speeches are summarized below.

[Party Leader Primary Results: Kim Min-seok Takes First Place] In the Gangwon-Daegu-Gyeongbuk regional vote, Kim Min-seok placed first with 48.54% (18,977 votes). Chung Cheong-rae received 44.39% (17,355 votes), while Song Young-gil garnered 7.06% (2,760 votes).

Based on cumulative results so far, Kim recorded 46.00% (95,821 votes) and Chung 44.55% (92,735 votes), showing a gap of 1.45 percentage points between the two candidates.

[Supreme Council Primary: Choi Min-hee Maintains Lead] In the supreme council election, Choi Min-hee took first place in the region with 17.04% (13,326 votes).

She was followed by Park Sun-won with 16.47% (12,877 votes), Seo Mi-hwa with 14.79% (11,560 votes), Han Min-soo with 14.15% (11,061 votes), Lee Seung-yoon with 12.72% (9,947 votes), Kim Yong with 12.71% (9,934 votes), Lim Mi-ae with 9.65% (7,541 votes), and Kim Young-ho with 2.48% (1,938 votes). In cumulative votes, Choi Min-hee also maintains the lead with 20.28% (84,486 votes).

[Joint Debate: Exchanges Among Party Leader Candidates] At the debate, Kim Min-seok emphasized that the Democratic Party must unite around the president and stated he would become an irreplaceable party leader capable of boosting support in Daegu and Gyeongbuk.

Chung Cheong-rae called for loyalty and unity, advocating for a merger with the Rebuilding Korea Party and an alliance with the Justice Party and others. However, during his speech, he made a slip of the tongue by mistakenly referring to President Lee Jae-myung as "President Lee Myung-bak." In response, Song Young-gil criticized Chung's remarks, strongly denouncing the privatization of the party and factional politics.

[Close Debates Among Supreme Council Candidates] Among the supreme council candidates, the most heated debate took place between the pro-Lee Jae-myung faction and the pro-Chung Cheong-rae faction.

• Pro-Chung Cheong-rae faction: Choi Min-hee addressed the need for the party leader's integrity and a reform-oriented leadership, claiming that the press and a majority of lawmakers support Kim Min-seok. Lee Seung-yoon also criticized Kim Min-seok for causing internal party conflicts. Han Min-soo emphasized that both Chung Cheong-rae and himself are needed to push forward the semiconductor project in the Honam region.
• Pro-Lee Jae-myung faction: Park Sun-won and Seo Mi-hwa stressed cooperation with the current administration and the speed of reform, pointing to internal negativity and accountability issues. Kim Yong noted a lack of responsibility and reflection following the local elections.
• Other remarks: Lim Mi-ae rebutted Choi Min-hee's statements and pointed out leadership problems within the Democratic Party. Kim Young-ho voiced concerns about internal division and conflict, calling for a new leadership.

During the debate, raised voices were exchanged among candidates; however, each appealed for support by presenting themselves as the right person to lead change and innovation in the Democratic Party.

[Future Schedule] The 5% weight for the Daegu-Gyeongbuk-Gyeongnam region has not yet been reflected. The final delegate and public vote results will be announced at the party convention in Daejeon on the 17th.