Democratic Party Names Lee Won-taek as Jeonbuk Governor Candidate

The Democratic Party of Korea on the 10th confirmed Representative Lee Won-taek as its candidate for Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province Governor for the June 3rd local elections. The party announced on the 10th that Lee Won-taek was elected as the Jeonbuk Provincial Governor candidate, defeating Representative Ahn Ho-young, following an internal party primary held for three days starting April 8th. The party did not disclose the vote percentages for each candidate in accordance with its internal regulations.

This Jeonbuk Provincial Governor primary was held after former Jeonbuk Governor Kim Kwan-young was expelled from the party on April 1st due to allegations of bribery. Kim Kwan-young was suspected of providing money to attendees at a restaurant in Jeonju last November under the guise of chauffeur fees.

Representative Lee Won-taek, who was elected as the Jeonbuk Provincial Governor candidate, also faced allegations of paying for meals during the primary campaign, but the party's ethics inspection team concluded there were no grounds for the charges. His primary rival, Representative Ahn Ho-young, expressed his objection to the conclusion and his intention not to accept it. A formal complaint has been filed with the police regarding these matters, and police have summoned related individuals for investigation.