South Korea: Candidates in strong push to woo voters in conservative strongholds
Three presidential candidates made their strong push to woo voters in the nation's conservative strongholds Tuesday, the second day of their official campaigns, with the election just 21 days away, Yonhap reports.
The June 3 presidential election, triggered by the impeachment of former President Yoon Suk Yeol over his failed martial law bid in December, is seen as a three-way race among Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party (DP), Kim Moon-soo of the People Power Party (PPP) and Lee Jun-seok of the minor New Reform Party.
In various opinion polls, Lee of the DP is the front-runner with some 50 percent support.
Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province are recognized as the PPP's strongholds.
Hitting the trail to the region, Lee of the DP sought to win back centrist voters.
"I was born and raised in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, but why can't I get 20 percent support in this area?" Lee said during his campaign rally at Gumi Station.
Pointing out that Gumi is the birthplace of former President Park Chung-hee, Lee said he had thought of Park as a "bad person who committed judicial murder, used torture and suppressed democracy."
"But on the other hand, doesn't he deserve credit for leading the country's industrialization?" he added.
The trip to the traditionally challenging Yeongnam region in the country's southeast just three days after visiting the area is widely seen as an appeal to both regional and centrist voters.
Kim of the PPP rallied for conservative support as he visited Daegu, Ulsan and Busan.
Starting off his campaign stop by paying tribute at the National Sinam Memorial Park in Daegu, Kim attended a ceremony to launch the party's regional campaign committee at the PPP's office in Daegu before heading to Ulsan to visit local outlets and traditional markets.
"I used to strongly oppose former President Park and was even arrested for it, but I recently realized I was wrong," Kim said. "I was once a person who spat on Park's grave, but now I lay flowers on it."
Park's legacy remains highly contested in South Korea, with conservatives praising him for spearheading rapid economic development and liberals criticizing his crackdowns on the pro-democracy movement.
Kim will then visit the Busan International Finance Center and later attend an event by the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions at the PPP's Busan office. His campaign will conclude with a visit to Jagalchi Market in Busan.
Kim's move is seen as an effort to solidify conservative support in the Yeongnam region while highlighting his focus on boosting the local economy, which is his primary campaign pledge.
Meanwhile, Lee Jun-seok of the New Reform Party started the day with a campaign rally in the streets of Daegu before having a meal with students at a cafeteria at Kyungpook National University.
He will then hold a policy meeting on health care at the Daegu Medical Association Hall and meet with merchants at Chilseong Market.
As written before, presidential candidates kicked off their official campaigns on Monday for the June 3 vote, putting their top priority on pledges of reviving the nation's sluggish economy and unifying the polarized society.
