South Korea: Democratic Party to pick presidential candidate via party vote, public poll

Seoul, April 12 (IANS) The South Korea's Democratic Party (DP) has decided to select its presidential candidate through an even split between votes by dues-paying members and a public poll, its election preparation committee said on Saturday.

Party members aged 16-18 will also be allowed to vote for the first time, following a 2022 revision to the Political Parties Act that lowered the minimum age for party membership from 18 to 16.

Primaries will be held across for regions -- Chungcheong, Gyeongsang, Jeolla and the greater Seoul area -- with dates yet to be announced.

The public poll will survey 1 million people through two survey companies, Yonhap news agency reported.

The committee will finalise the decision after a full party vote Monday and an online vote by its central committee Tuesday.

Earlier in the day, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon said that he will not be running in the June 3 presidential election as he apologised over the "failure" of former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's government.

Oh made the announcement at the conservative People Power Party's headquarters in western Seoul against expectations he would run for the upcoming election, triggered by Yoon's ouster over his failed martial law bid in December.

"To restore the abnormal back to normal, I will be the priming water, like a soldier without a rank," he said.

"I feel indescribable despair and infinite responsibility for the impeachment of the president our party produced."

"I humbly apologise for the halt to state affairs and bringing big disappointment to the people," he said. "No one in our party is free from responsibility for the failure of the Yoon Suk Yeol government."

He called on his party and presidential hopefuls to focus on growth and helping the underprivileged, vowing to support efforts to create a new government with those who share his goals, Yonhap news agency reported.

Multiple conservative politicians have announced their bids for the upcoming election, including former Labor Minister Kim Moon-soo and former PPP leader Han Dong-hoon.

Meanwhile, the South Korean government designated June 3 as the date of the next presidential election following the ouster of former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol.

The designation was made at a Cabinet meeting four days after the Constitutional Court upheld the impeachment of Yoon over his short-lived imposition of martial law in December.

Under the Constitution, the country is required to hold a new election within 60 days after a vacancy arises in the presidency.

The government also designated June 3 as a temporary public holiday.

The National Election Commission began early candidate registration shortly after the Constitutional Court dismissed Yoon last Friday.

--IANS

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