"Simultaneous Office Openings" for Park Min-shik and Han Dong-hoon... "Showing off strength" vs. "Standing alone with dignity"

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[The Financial News] The calculations of the anti-Yoon camp are becoming more complicated ahead of the by-election for the Busan Buk-gu-gap constituency. On the 10th, People Power Party candidate Park Min-shik and independent candidate Han Dong-hoon will open their campaign offices at the same time, intensifying the rivalry.
Park plans to make it clear that he is the People Power Party candidate by mobilizing the party leadership, senior lawmakers, and even Busan mayoral candidate Park Hyung-joon. Han, meanwhile, is discouraging lawmakers in his camp from attending the opening ceremony and plans to overcome adversity through a lonely fight.
According to political circles on the 8th, Park and Han will hold their opening ceremonies at 2 p.m. on the 10th at campaign offices about a 10-minute walk apart. By scheduling the events on the same day and at the same time, they are expected to engage in a war of nerves.
Park's event is expected to be backed by the party leadership, including leader Jang Dong-hyuk and floor leader Song Eon-seok. A party official said, "Even if Han was once the former leader of the People Power Party, Park is the only People Power Party candidate," signaling full-scale support from the party. Park's camp said senior lawmakers such as Kim Gi-hyeon, Kwon Young-se, Na Kyung-won, and Ahn Cheol-soo are expected to attend, along with former Labor Minister Kim Moon-soo, former Land Minister Won Hee-ryong, Busan City Party Committee Chair Jeong Dong-man, and Busan mayoral candidate Park Hyung-joon. In effect, the camp plans to show off its strength.
Han, by contrast, urged lawmakers in his camp not to attend the opening ceremony. Appearing on MBC Radio that day, he said, "To the lawmakers who said they would attend, I told them, 'This time, I will convey our hearts to the residents of Buk-gu-gap on your behalf, so please just send your support from afar.'" One lawmaker in Han's camp also told The Financial News that he would not attend. He said, "Han seems determined to stand and fight on his own," adding, "He is being considerate so that party conflict does not break out and become noisy." Still, former Busan mayor Suh Byung-soo, a five-term lawmaker from Busan, left the People Power Party and joined Han's campaign as chair of his election campaign committee, bolstering his support base.
As the two candidates continue their rivalry in Busan Buk-gu, a last-minute conservative unification variable remains. However, neither candidate is known to be particularly active about a merger. Park dismissed the possibility immediately after winning the primary, saying, "The chance of unification is 0%." A Han aide said, "Some polls show results in the three-way race that are similar to Ha Jung-woo's numbers," adding, "We can win even without unification."
haeram@fnnews.com Reporter Lee Hae-ram Reporter