Lee Hoi-Chang Is De facto Opposition Presidential Nominee

Former president of the Grand National Party (GNP) Lee Hoi-Chang is determined to be the party`s presidential candidate regardless of the result of the remaining party primary in Seoul to be held on May 9. Former GNP president Lee will be officially selected as the party presidential candidate in the party convention on May 10 after the primary in Seoul.

Candidate Lee added 592 votes (72.3 percent) to record a total tally of 15,160 votes (72.6 percent) in a regional primary in North Chungcheong Province held in Cheongju on May 7. Candidate Lee led the distant second runner candidate Choe Byung-Yul by the gap of 12,134 votes, which automatically determined Lee to be the party`s presidential hopeful regardless of the primary result in Seoul (eligible voter college is 10,515 votes).

Candidates Choe Byung-Yul and Lee Bu-Young received 152 votes (18.6 percent) and 60 votes (7.3 percent), respectively, and candidate Rhee Shang-Hi received 15 votes (1.8 percent). A total of 54.5 percent of the eligible voters cast their ballots.

Jong-Hoon Lee taylor55@donga.com