'Jeong Cheong-rae vs Park Chan-dae' Fierce Behind-the-Scenes Power Struggle in Ruling Party Convention.. This Week's 'Chungcheong and Yeongnam' Tour Primary Begins

[Financial News] Ahead of the 8·2 convention to elect the next Democratic Party leader, the behind-the-scenes power struggle between candidates Jeong Cheong-rae and Park Chan-dae is fierce. Following their focus on the Chungcheong region last weekend, the two candidates visited 'the heart of conservatism' Daegu on the 14th to expand their contact with party members. In particular, the psychological battle over 'Myeongsim (明心·Lee Jae-myung's mind)' between the two candidates is also intensifying.
According to political circles on this day, Jeong and Park, who are running for the Democratic Party's party leader election, will hold tour primaries in the Chungcheong region on the 19th and in Yeongnam on the 20th. This marks the official start of the Democratic Party convention this week. Considering this schedule, the two candidates held meetings in Daegu, a key area in Yeongnam, on this day.
Before the Daegu party member meeting on this day, Park met with reporters and emphasized, "Candidates running in this convention need to demonstrate more capabilities in people's livelihood, economy, and national integration," adding, "I will do my best to ensure the complete success of the Lee Jae-myung government without engaging in personal politics." He also mentioned, "If elected as party leader, I will quickly establish a local election planning team to focus the capabilities of the Democratic Party in the challenging TK (Daegu-Gyeongbuk) region."
Previously, on the 13th, Park also visited Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam to capture the votes in Yeongnam. At a talk concert held in Ulsan, Park stated, "Now that there is no president exercising veto power, I will push through each people's livelihood bill one by one." Park continued his field-oriented communication by holding a talk concert in Haeundae as well.
The psychological battle over Myeongsim is also fierce. Park highlighted the fact that he inherited the 818th office in the National Assembly building, which Lee Jae-myung used until just before his election as president, while Jeong appeared on the pro-government YouTube channel 'Kim Eo-jun's News Factory' in the morning and said, "I have made many suggestions to President Lee Jae-myung long before the presidential election that all reforms, including prosecution, media, and judiciary reforms, must be completed within three months of taking office." Jeong stated, "In the first year of the Lee Jae-myung government, strong reforms are needed, and especially now, during a wartime situation with internal strife and war, a strong fighter is needed." Jeong held a party member meeting in Daegu in the afternoon.
The competition to capture votes in the Chungcheong region is also intense. Both candidates organized their schedules focusing on the Chungcheong region over the weekend. On the 12th, Jeong attended a core party member meeting in Cheonan and Asan and a workshop in Boryeong and Seocheon, appealing for support by stating, "I will become a strong reformist party leader." On the same day, Park attended a talk concert held at Nazarene University in Cheonan, saying, "The party leader should be a leader of integration, not a fighter," and "I will revive people's livelihood and the economy with generosity that encompasses centrists and conservatives."

cjk@fnnews.com Choi Jong-geun Kim Hyung-gu Reporter