The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) continued its race to pick a new leader on Sunday, with a joint townhall meeting in the Chungcheong region.

In a speech in Gongju, South Chungcheong Province, Rep. Lee Jae-myung, a former presidential candidate, emphasized the balanced development of all regions and vowed to make a stronger party.

As in previous speeches, Rep. Park Yong-jin attacked the frontrunner Lee, saying he "nominated himself" to run in an easy district to become a lawmaker.

Rep. Kang Hoon-sik urged support from his regional base. He said Chungcheong should become the center of the Democratic Party and the center to achieve a change of administration.

As of Saturday, Lee has won 74-point-59 percent of the votes cast at regional races, followed by Park with 20-point-70 percent and Kang with four-point-71 percent.

The DP will hold joint meetings in North Jeolla Province on August 20, Gwangju and South Jeolla Province the next day, and in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province on the 27th.

The new DP chair as well as members of the Supreme Council will be announced at a party convention in Seoul on the 28th. The final tally will take into account votes by party members as well as a public opinion poll.