Candidate selection begins

[Anchor]

With just seven weeks to go until the 21st presidential election, the candidate lineup for the primaries of the Democratic Party and the People Power Party has been finalized.

Three candidates from the Democratic Party and eleven from the People Power Party will compete for the presidential nomination.

Reporter Kim Cheong-yun has the details.

[Report]

The Democratic Party and the People Power Party have both completed their candidate registration for the presidential primaries.

The Democratic Party has confirmed a three-way race among former leader Lee Jae-myung, former Gyeongnam Governor Kim Kyung-soo, and Gyeonggi Governor Kim Dong-yeon.

The People Power Party has registered a total of eleven candidates, including former Minister Kim Moon-soo, lawmakers Na Kyung-won and Ahn Cheol-soo, former lawmaker Yang Hyang-ja, Gyeongbuk Governor Lee Cheol-woo, Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok, former leader Han Dong-hoon, and former Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo.

The official primary schedule will begin tomorrow (Apr. 16).

The Democratic Party will hold a fair election agreement ceremony tomorrow and will start a joint TV debate for candidates on the 18th.

Regional primaries involving party members will take place on the 19th in Chungcheong Provinces, the 20th in Yeongnam region, the 26th in Honam region, and the 27th in the metropolitan area, Gangwon Province, and Jeju.

On the 27th, if a candidate receives a majority of the votes from this primary and the general public opinion polls, they will be confirmed as the presidential candidate.

If not, the final candidate will be selected on May 1st.

The People Power Party will announce the first round of primary candidates tomorrow.

From the 19th, there will be two days of debates divided into two groups, followed by a 100% public opinion poll to determine four candidates for the second round of primaries on the 22nd.

The four candidates will engage in one-on-one debates, and on the 29th, two candidates will be selected for the third round of primaries, with party member votes and general opinion polls each accounting for 50%.

If a candidate receives a majority of the votes, they will become the nominee, but if not, the final candidate will be confirmed at the party convention on the 3rd of next month.

The Democratic Party has characterized this election as a confrontation between forces protecting the constitution and destructive groups, while the People Power Party has defined it as a judgment election against Lee Jae-myung, indicating a fierce competition for the lead in the presidential race.

This is KBS News, Kim Cheong-yun reporting.