SEOUL, Oct. 10 (BNA): Lee Jae-myung is set to become the presidential candidate of South Korea’s ruling party on Sunday, hoping to overcome a property scandal and garner national support as conservative opponents trade criticism over acupuncture and fortune tellers.
Lee, the governor of Gyeonggi Province, was expected to seal his victory in the primaries to represent the Democratic Party’s primary in the March 9 presidential election, Reuters reported.
The main rival among a fractured field of the conservative mainland People’s Power Party, Yoon Seok Yeol, has been caught up in scandals of his own – including murky relationships with an acupuncturist and accusations that he relies on clairvoyants.
The winners will compete to replace President Moon Jae-in, who must step down due to term limits.
Lee leads with more than 55% of the vote against 34% for his closest challenger at the end of Sunday’s primary, which began early last month.