SEOUL, July 23 (Yonhap) -- The ruling Democratic Party (DP) on Thursday was set to announce the top three candidates to advance to the main race for the party leadership ahead of the party's national convention next month.

Three candidates will be shortlisted among five based on 35 percent of the votes cast by the party's central committee members, 35 percent from dues-paying members and the remaining 30 percent from public opinion poll results.

The five candidates are former Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, former DP leader Jung Chung-rae, Reps. Song Young-gil and Ko Min-jung, and former Gangjin councilmember Kim Bo-mi.

For the party's supreme council, 8 out of 14 candidates will make the final cut.

Candidates for the ruling Democratic Party's leadership race -- (from L to R) Kim Min-seok, Ko Min-jung, Chung Cheong-rae, Kim Bo-mi and Song Young-gil -- pose for a photo ahead of a joint speech for the preliminary elections for party leader and Supreme Council members at the party's headquarters in Seoul, on July 20, 2026. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)

The DP plans to hold the national convention on Aug. 17 to elect a new leader, who will play a key role in overseeing the nomination of candidates for the April 2028 parliamentary elections.

Four-term lawmaker Jung Chung-rae, who announced his bid last week, is widely expected to be included among the top three candidates. Jung has faced criticism from some party members closely aligned with President Lee Jae Myung for focusing on appealing to his own hard-line supporters instead of fully backing the president.

Competing against him is Kim Min-seok, a key political ally of President Lee who served as the first prime minister under the current administration.

Announcing his bid earlier this month, Kim pledged to work for the success of the Lee administration and make sweeping changes in the party, saying the party had failed to capitalize on Lee's strong public approval during the June 3 local elections.

Despite winning 12 of the 16 mayoral and gubernatorial seats in the elections, the DP lost key battlegrounds, including the Seoul mayoral race.

julesyi@yna.co.kr
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