10-term lawmaker Lee Jae-gap elected first Democratic Party speaker of a North Gyeongsang local assembly

Lee Jae-gap, a Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker serving his 10th term on the Andong City Council — the most terms of any local council member in the country — has been elected speaker, the first Democratic Party member to hold the position in a North Gyeongsang basic assembly, after a three-round contest against the People Power Party.

The Andong City Council elected Lee as speaker Tuesday following two inconclusive rounds of voting and a deciding runoff. The outcome was determined under the council's basic ordinance, which awards the position to the most senior member in the event of a tie.

Lee had long served as an independent before holding a press conference on June 12 and announcing his formal entry into the Democratic Party of Korea.

At the time, he emphasized the need for cooperation with the central government and change within the local community to overcome structural crises including population decline, aging, a weakening industrial base and an exodus of young people.

In his acceptance remarks, Lee said the council represented many colors. "There is red in the Andong City Council, and there is blue, and green and white," he said. "I will fulfill the council's duties through cooperative governance that brings all those colors together." He added: "I will answer the confidence shown by the lawmakers who elected me speaker and by the citizens of Andong with responsible council activities."

Meanwhile, the eight Democratic Party lawmakers on the council, in a gesture of cooperative governance following the speaker election, proposed that the People Power Party nominate a candidate for deputy speaker. The council subsequently elected independent lawmaker Son Gwang-yeong to the post.