| Election Name: | 2020 Democratic Party (South Korea, 2015) leadership election |
| Country: | South Korea |
| Type: | presidential |
| Vote Type: | Caucus |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 2018 Democratic Party (South Korea, 2015) leadership election |
| Previous Year: | 2018 |
| Next Election: | 2021 Democratic Party (South Korea, 2015) leadership bi-election |
| Next Year: | 2021 |
| Election Date: | 29 August 2020 |
| 1Blank: | Delegates |
| 2Blank: | Party members |
| 3Blank: | Opinion poll |
| 4Blank: | Non-voting members poll |
| 5Blank: | Total |
| Candidate1: | Lee Nak-yon |
| Color1: | 0052A7 |
| 1Data1: | 57.20% |
| 2Data1: | 63.73% |
| 3Data1: | 64.02% |
| 4Data1: | 62.80% |
| 5Data1: | 60.77% |
| Candidate2: | Kim Boo-kyum |
| Color2: | 0052A7 |
| 1Data2: | 29.29% |
| 2Data2: | 14.76% |
| 3Data2: | 13.85% |
| 4Data2: | 18.05% |
| 5Data2: | 21.37% |
| Candidate3: | Park Joo-min |
| Color3: | 0052A7 |
| 1Data3: | 13.52% |
| 2Data3: | 21.51% |
| 3Data3: | 22.14% |
| 4Data3: | 19.15% |
| 5Data3: | 17.85% |
| Leader | |
| Before Election: | Lee Hae-chan |
| After Election: | Lee Nak-yon |
The Democratic Party held a leadership election on 29 August 2020.[1] [2] It was the second leadership election since the inauguration of President Moon Jae-in. Although an elected leader serves for the fixed two-year term, the newly elected leader Lee Nak-yon is unlikely to serve for two years due to his presumptive presidential campaign in 2022.[3] [4]
In 2020 South Korean General Election, The Democrats, led by Lee Hae-chan, won the majority in the National Assembly by landslide. The Democratic Party and its affiliate Party, Platform Party, won 180 seats (60%) in the 300-seat Assembly. It was the biggest majority since the democratization of South Korea after the June Struggle in 1987. It was an endorsement of President Moon Jae-in's COVID-19 response that got a good reputation worldwide.[5]
Due to the continued impact of COVID-19 pandemic, the Democratic Party National Convention Preparatory Committee decided to hold a national convention online to elect its leadership. The Democratic Party originally planned an event in Jamsil Olympic Stadium in which about 600 members of the Central Committee attended, but it changed to an online event due to concerns about second wave of COVID-19. Eventually, the party decided to allow only about 50 candidates and staff at the Democratic Party's headquarter and broadcast the results of the election as well as the acceptance speech on the Internet on 29 August 2020.[6]
| 1 | Lee Nak-yon | (age) Yeonggwang, South Jeolla | 지금!이낙연 (Now | Lee Nak-yon) | 7 July 2020[7] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Kim Boo-kyum | (age) Sangju, North Gyeongsang | 책임지는 당대표 (Responsible Leader) | 9 July 2020[8] | ||
| 3 | Park Joo-min | (age) Seongbuk, Seoul | 국민과 함께 두려움 없이 (With the people, fearlessly) | 21 July 2020[9] |
| Candidate | Born | Political Office | Campaign Slogan[10] | Announced | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shin Dong-kun | 22 December 1961 Seo, Incheon | Member of the National Assembly Whip of the Democratic Party Vice Chairman of the Policy Planning Committee | 민주당 왼쪽 미드필더 (Left Midfielder of Democrats) | 22 July 2020[11] | ||
| 2 | Yeom Tae-yeong | 25 July 1960 Hwaseong, Gyeonggi | Mayor of Suwon Chairman of the National Association of Mayors | 기초가 든든한 100년 민주당 (Well-founded century Democrats) | 20 July 2020[12] | ||
| 3 | Yang Hyang-ja | 4 April 1967 Hwasun, South Jeolla | Member of the National Assembly Director of the National Human Resources Development Institute Chairwoman of the Democratic National Woman's Committee | 한 표는 경제에 (One vote for the economy) | 21 July 2020[13] | ||
| 4 | Han Byung-do | 7 December 1967 Iksan, North Jeolla | 대통령을 지킬 한 표 (One vote to protect the president) | 21 July 2020[14] | |||
| 5 | So Byeong-hoon | 3 June 1954 Gunsan, North Jeolla | Member of the National Assembly Vice Chairman of the Policy Planning Committee | 소확행 (Small but sure Happiness, SSH) | 21 July 2020[15] | ||
| 6 | Noh Woong-rae | 3 August 1957 Mapo, Seoul | 무한책임 일편黨心 (Infinite commitment, a sincere heart for the party) | 20 July 2020[16] | |||
| 7 | Lee Won-wook | 20 March 1962 Boryeong, South Chungchoeng | 민주당 답게! 흔들림 없이 | (Like a Democrat! Without wavering | ) | 19 July 2020[17] | |
| 8 | Kim Jong-min | 12 May 1964 Nonsan, South Chungcheong | 정권재창출 반드시 해내겠습니다 (Make sure to win again) | 21 July 2020[18] |
| Candidate | Born | Political Office | Campaign Slogan | Announced | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lee Jae-jung | 2 August 1974 Daegu | Member of the National Assembly Spokeswoman of the Democratic Party Vice Chairman of the Policy Planning Committee | 당신을 빛나게 하는 힘! (The power that makes you shine | ) | 17 July 2020[19] |
| Cheong Kwang-il |
| No. | Date and time | Location | Programme | Broadcaster | Candidates | Link | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Participant Absent invitee Out of race (eliminated or withdrawn) No debate | Lee Nak-yon | Kim Boo-kyum | Park Joo-min | ||||||
| 1 |
| Daegu | 민주당 당대표 후보 TV 토론회 (Democratic Leadership Debate) | Daegu MBC | YouTube | ||||
| 2 |
| Busan | 더불어민주당 당대표 후보자 초청 토론회 (Democratic Leadership Debate) | Busan MBC | YouTube | ||||
| 3 |
| Jeonju | 더불어민주당 당대표 후보 토론회 (Democratic Leadership Debate) | Jeonju MBC | YouTube | ||||
| 4 | Gwangju | 더불어민주당 당대표 후보자 초청 토론회 (Democratic Leadership Debate) | KBC Gwangju | YouTube | |||||
| 5 |
| Daejon | 더불어민주당 당대표 후보자 초청 토론회 (Democratic Leadership Debate) | Daejon MBC | |||||
| 6 | Seoul | 100분토론 - 더불어민주당 당대표 후보자 토론회 (100 Minute Debate - Democratic Leadership Debate) | MBC | YouTube | |||||
| 7 | Seoul | 더불어민주당 당대표 후보자 초청 방송토론회 (Democratic Leadership Debate) | KBS1 | YouTube | |||||
The ratio of the results by sector was 45% for delegates, 40% for party members, 10% for opinion poll and 5% for non-voting members poll.
| Lee Nak-yon | 57.20% | 63.73% | 64.02% | 62.80% | 60.77% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kim Boo-kyum | 29.29% | 14.76% | 13.85% | 18.05% | 21.37% | |
| Park Joo-min | 13.52% | 21.51% | 22.14% | 19.15% | 17.85% |
| Kim Jong-min | 13.54% | 25.47% | 23.9% | 24.08% | Senior member | ||
| Yeom Tae-yeong | 16.88% | 9.9% | 12.29% | 8.95% | |||
| Noh Woong-rae | 12.29% | 12.75% | 16.48% | 17.88% | |||
| Shin Dong-kun | 9.62% | 13.79% | 16.68% | 12.98% | |||
| Yang Hyang-ja | 7.14% | 15.56% | 13.32% | 15.18% | |||
| Lee Won-wook | 17.39% | 6.93% | 5.69% | 5.28% | |||
| Han Byung-do | 13.81% | 9.77% | 5.69% | 8.93% | |||
| So Byeong-hoon | 9.33% | 5.84% | 5.89% | 6.75% |