FIRST BATTLE AMONG DP CONTENDERS

[Anchor Lead]

The ruling Democratic Party has kicked off voting among party members who pay membership fees for the election of its presidential candidate starting with Daejeon, Chungcheongdo Province and Sejong city areas. The results will come in this weekend. Tensions are running high among DP contenders over the first battleground.

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Voting is under way among paid members of the ruling DP in the country’s central region as the presidential primary kicks off. Lee Jae-myung who has been active in the Chungcheongdo provinces for the last two weekends vowed to keep his campaign pledges by all means.

[Soundbite] Lee Jae-myung(DP primary candidate(Aug. 29)) : "Based on balanced national development, I will lay the foundation for this region to make a new leap forward and advance."

Lee Nak-yon who promised to name a Chungcheongdo province figure as his very first prime minister if he gets elected, visited Bongha Village and also met with Catholic priest, Song Gi-in, known as a mentor for President Moon Jae-in. The moves are viewed as efforts to woo supporters of former President Roh Moo-hyun and the current South Korean leader.

[Soundbite] Lee Nak-yon(DP primary candidate) : "Dear party members, our party, together with the public, had ushered in a gov’t of the people, a participatory gov’t and a gov’t of candlelight protests. Fully prepared presidential candidates were always at the center of those undertakings."

Voting results in the Chungcheongdo region will be unveiled this weekend at a joint campaign speech session. Party delegates and paid members in this region account for a mere 10% of the total but it will be symbolic as it is the first primary outcome. Chungcheong voting results may serve as a barometer as to whether Lee Jae-myung will continue his lead or Lee Nak-yon will gain ground to expand support. With voting under way, the war of nerves has further escalated between the two. Lee Jae-myung demanded an apology from lawmaker Yoon Young-chan of Lee Nak-yon’s camp for raising ungrounded allegations against him, stressing that slandering with false facts is an election crime. But Yoon refuted the criticism as attacking his character and said the allegations were raised as part of efforts to vet and screen candidates.