Former Gyeonggi Province governor Sohn Hak-kyu took first place in a preliminary primary of the United New Democratic Party, followed by former unification minister Chung Dong-young, former prime minister Lee Hae-chan, former health minister Rhyu Si-min and former premier Han Myeong-sook.
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The remaining five United New Democratic Party presidential hopefuls after a preliminary primary on Tuesday and Wednesday: (from left) Sohn Hak-kyu, Chung Dong-young, Han Myeong-sook, Lee Hae-chan and Rhyu Si-min.
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The preliminary reduced the party¡¯s nine presidential hopefuls to five through a nationwide poll on Tuesday and Wednesday. Sohn got the vote of 4,667 votes or 24.8 percent of the 18,856 people polled, defeating Chung by a narrow margin of 0.3 percent. The former unification minister won 4,613 votes or 24.5 percent. Three President Roh Moo-hyun loyalists -- Lee Hae-chan, Rhyu Si-min and Han Myeong-sook -- came in third, fourth and fifth, winning 2,709 votes (14.4 percent), 1,913 votes (10.1 percent) and 1,776 votes (9.4 percent) respectively.
The three will soon start discussions to put up a single hopeful: their combined votes amount to 6,398, far more than Sohn and Chung¡¯s. Thus a single contender chosen from among the three loyalists could become the largest variable in the UNDP¡¯s primary race. The presidential nominee of the newly integrated ruling camp will be selected in a month-long nationwide primary from Sept. 15 to Oct. 14. The primary will begin in Jeju Island and Ulsan next Saturday.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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