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Bloomberg
South Korea’s ruling Democratic Party picked Lee Nak-yon as its new leader on Saturday, paving the way for a possible bid by the former prime minister in the 2022 presidential election.
Lee won 60.8% of the total vote in the online election and was followed by four-term
lawmaker Kim Bu-gyeom, with 21.4%. The new party leader said in his campaign speech that that he would “succeed and develop†the policies of President Moon Jae-in’s administration.
Lee, 67, takes the reins at the party with the nation battling a resurgence of coronavirus and soaring real estate prices, particularly in the capital, Seoul. One of his main rivals in the presidential election is Lee Jae-myung, governor of Gyeonggi province, who didn’t run for party leadership and has been critical of the government.
Lee Jae-myung has hit out at Moon’s housing policies that have made homes unaffordable for working families in his province, which is South Korea’s most populous.
Lee Nak-yon, who was governor of South Jeolla providence, is known for his forceful exchanges as a lawmaker and his attempts to communicate directly with
citizens.