Overview
- South Korea’s Democratic Party said Thursday that Chong Won-o won its three-way primary with a majority, making him the party’s candidate for Seoul mayor.
- Under party rules, a majority win cancels a second round, moving the contest toward the June 3 local elections.
- The party did not release vote shares for Chong or his rivals Park Ju-min and Jeon Hyun-heui, prompting questions about transparency in the selection.
- Recent reports describe allegations that a quickly promoted subordinate accompanied Chong on a Cancun trip and that his team distorted a poll, which could draw election law scrutiny.
- After the result, Chong cast the race as a judgment on Mayor Oh Se-hoon’s decade in office, and his rise followed a December post from President Lee Jae Myung that many read as an endorsement.