The leadership race for the two major political parties has intensified with the main opposition party initiating its primaries and the ruling party concluding its drawn-out contest, culminating in a scheduled election for Tuesday. Former opposition leader and Democratic Party of Korea Rep. Lee Jae-myung secured a primary victory in Gangwon Province, the third leg of the 15-leg race, aiming for a second term. Lee garnered an impressive 90.02 percent of the total ballots cast by registered party members in the province, achieving back-to-back wins after triumphing in primaries on Jeju Island and the city of Incheon the day before. The Democratic Party plans to choose its new leader during a national convention on August 18, with Lee widely expected to be reelected despite facing multiple scandals and legal battles. Meanwhile, the ruling People Power Party is in the final stages of its leadership contest, with the election for its next leader scheduled for Tuesday, marking the end of heated competition among the four conservative candidates. The party leadership cautioned two candidates to cease "personal attacks" against each other, as a divide emerged between the pro-Yoon Suk Yeol faction and supporters of Han Dong-hoon within the conservative bloc. This division stemmed from rumors about the former party interim leader's alleged disregard of messages from the first lady ahead of the April 10 general election.