The main opposition Democratic United Party will hold its national convention on June 9 to elect its new leadership to serve through the year-end presidential election.

“The provisional in-party election will be held June 9 at KINTEX, Ilsan,” said spokesperson Park Yong-jin Wednesday.

The event is to select the successor to Rep. Han Myeong-sook, who stepped down last Friday, taking responsibility for the party’s disappointing general election results.

The list of probable candidates so far includes former prime minister and Sejong City elect Lee Hae-chan, former party spokesperson Woo Sang-ho and former floor leader Rep. Park Jie-won.

The left-wing party is currently led by acting chairman and supreme councilor Moon Sung-keun until an emergency leadership council kicks off.

The party will also hold an internal race May 4 and select its new floor leader, who will also chair the interim decision-making body.

“The selection will be made by a majority vote or a decisive vote should nobody win the majority,” the spokesperson said.

As the new floor leader will be able to exercise influence upon the chairperson vote and possibly the party’s presidential plans as well, several high-profile figures have set out for the position.

The race is largely expected to be a competition between former Democratic Party members and pro-Roh Moo-hyun figures.

Representing the DP group is Rep. Park Young-sun, who resigned last month from the Supreme Council amid the candidate nomination feuds.

Reps. Lee Nak-yon, Woo Yoon-keun and Shin Hak-yong are also regarded as plausible candidates.

On the non-DP, pro-Roh side, Shin Geh-ryoon, Yoo Ihn-tae and Rep. Jun Byung-hun are rumored to be considering candidacy.

The number of potentials, however, may be reduced by next week as the different regional factions are expected to hold closed-door meetings over the weekend in an effort to unify their candidates.

The ex-DP and the pro-Roh groups also are conflicted over the party’s political identity.

The former demanded that the party retrieve its center-left stance, whereas the latter called for more progressive moves.

The given disputes were sparked by the party’s alliance with the far-left Unified Progressive Party prior to the general elections.

“The party should maintain a consistent stance over key issues,” said Lee Nak-yon in a radio interview Wednesday.

He said that many candidates caused confusion among voters by calling for a total abolishment of the Korea-U.S. free trade deal, contradicting the party’s official platform which of renegotiation.

However, pro-Roh member Choi Jae-sung claimed that the DUP, as the leading liberal party, should promote progressive values to represent the underprivileged bracket.

By Bae Hyun-jung (tellme@heraldcorp.com)