(Yonhap) -- The ruling Saenuri Party selected former party chief Hong Joon-pyo as its candidate for governor of South Gyeongsang Province in a primary election on Sunday, officials said.
Hong, who served as party chief last year, clinched the nomination, as he won 3,024 votes in a primary held at an indoor stadium in Changwon, about 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, Rep. Suh Byung-soo announced.
Changwon Mayor Park Wan-soo came in second with 2,788 votes.
The governor post has been vacant after Kim Doo-gwan left in July to run for president. Kim of the main opposition Democratic United Party, however, failed to win the party's presidential nomination.
The by-election will be held on the same day as the Dec. 19 presidential vote.
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