▲ The three candidates for the ruling Democratic Party's leadership race -- (from L to R) Jung Chung-rae, Song Young-gil and Kim Min-seok -- pose for a photo prior to their third debate, hosted by broadcaster SBS, in Seoul on Aug. 12, 2026, ahead of a national convention on Aug. 17 to elect the party's new leader. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)

SEOUL, Aug. 12 (Yonhap) -- Three candidates vying for the ruling Democratic Party (DP) leadership made their final pitches in a televised debate Wednesday, reiterating their commitment to working for the success of the Lee Jae Myung administration just days before the party picks a new leader.

The DP is set to hold a national convention Monday to elect its new chair, who will play a key role in overseeing the nomination of candidates for the parliamentary elections in April 2028.

The race has largely been a competition between former Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, considered a key political ally of Lee, and former DP leader Jung Chung-rae, who has faced criticism from some party members for focusing on appealing to his own hard-line supporters than on fully backing the president.

Kim vowed to unite the DP and lead the party to secure a win in the next general elections.

"I will firmly lead the party for both the success of the administration and victory in the general elections," Kim said in his opening remarks.

He vowed to support the government's "three megaprojects" initiative that aims to transform the country's economy through investments in semiconductors, physical artificial intelligence (AI) and AI data centers.

Rep. Jung, who led the ruling party until recently, said he will seek to make the DP a more reform-oriented party, stressing that the party has successfully spearheaded prosecution, judicial and media reforms under his leadership.

Song Young-gil, another former DP leader, pitched himself as the right fit to lead the party, vowing to turn the DP into a "true ruling party" and lead the party to victory in the 2028 parliamentary elections.

The DP has held four out of six rounds of regional primaries so far.

Kim won three of them -- the central Chungcheong region, Incheon and Jeju Island, and Gangwon Province and Daegu-North Gyeongsang Province -- while losing to Jung in Busan, Ulsan and South Gyeongsang Province.

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