DAEJEON, Aug. 17 — Rep. Kim Min-seok was elected as the new leader of the Democratic Party of Korea on Monday, clinching victory in a preferential ballot runoff at the party’s national convention held at the Daejeon Convention Center.
Kim secured the leadership with a final vote share of 54.08%, overcoming rival contender Rep. Jung Cheong-rae after second-preference votes from third-place candidate Song Young-gil were redistributed.
While Kim—a key ally of President Lee Jae-myung—took the party's helm, the election resulted in a delicate internal power balance. Three of the five newly elected Supreme Council seats went to lawmakers affiliated with Jung’s faction, including top-vote getter Choi Min-hee, alongside Lee Sung-yoon and Han Min-soo. Pro-Lee lawmakers Park Sun-won and Suh Mi-hwa claimed the remaining two seats, establishing an immediate system of checks and balances within the party leadership.
In his acceptance speech, Kim emphasized party unity across factional lines to overcome mounting political hurdles.
"I will run forward together with Jung Cheong-rae and Song Young-gil," Kim said. "I will broaden our tent so that no one is left behind or alienated."
Kim also unveiled his vision to overhaul the party under what he called the "ABC Plan," which centers on Affordability, Broad outreach, and Competence. Under this framework, "Affordability" focuses on easing the practical cost-of-living burdens for citizens, "Broad" signifies expansive, big-tent politics that broadens the party's coalition, and "Competence" aims to establish a governing majority capable of delivering tangible policy outcomes.
Framing the plan as an extension of the administration's economic initiatives, Kim pledged a "creative horizontal partnership" with the presidential office, promising to serve as both a legislative shield and an active conduit for public sentiment.
On key policy priorities, the newly elected chief outlined immediate steps across domestic and foreign affairs:
• Real Estate Reform: Launching a leadership-level task force to push aggressive housing supply measures while easing tax burdens on non-resident single-home owners.
• Economic Mega-Projects: Accelerating special legislative and budgetary support for regional growth engines, including an 800-trillion-won semiconductor hub in the Honam region.
• Parliamentary Diplomacy: Scheduling visits to the United States, China, and Japan to navigate escalating trade pressures and regional security shifts under the Trump administration.
With Kim taking leadership ahead of upcoming budget deliberations and parliamentary schedules, the party is expected to maintain close coordination with the administration while managing internal factional dynamics among the newly formed Supreme Council.
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