Candidate eyes quick end to Korean primary

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SEOUL, Sept. 7 (UPI) -- The leader in the presidential primary of South Korea's main opposition party says he wants to get enough votes to avoid a runoff election, Yonhap reported.

Moon Jae-in, who was chief of staff to President Roh Moo-hyun, who died in 2009, needs more than 50 percent to avoid a runoff, the report said.

Moon has won all eight of the Democratic United Party local primaries since voting began Aug. 25. So far he has received 46.8 percent of the votes cast in an open primary. His closest opponent, special party adviser Sohn Hak-kyu, had 25.9 percent.

Voting concludes Sept. 16 in Seoul.

If Moon doesn't get more than 50 percent, there will be a runoff against the second-place finisher.

Other candidates and their totals so far are Kim Doo-kwan, a former provincial governor, with 18.5 percent and former Commerce Minister Chung Sye-kyun, with 8.5 percent.

Moon wants to win his party selection quickly so he catch up with five-term lawmaker Park Geun-hye of the ruling Saenuri Party, campaign sources said.

She won her party ticket on Aug. 20