Jeong Cheong-rae and Jang Dong-hyeok Bring Their Campaign Marathons to a Close in Seoul, Going All Out Until the End [Local Elections]

\r\n\r\nOne day before the June 3 local elections, the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and the People Power Party packed their schedules until the final day of campaigning and went all out. The DPK had been widely expected to win by a landslide, but as People Power Party candidates quickly narrowed the gap, more races became competitive. That made both parties' leadership even busier. Jeong Cheong-rae and Jang Dong-hyeok ended their 13-day campaign marathons in Seoul, the key strategic battleground, in a bid to plant the flag of victory there on the eve of the vote.
According to political sources on the 2nd, the leaders of both parties spent the day before the election in Seoul, carrying out their final campaign events there.
Jeong Cheong-rae, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), will hold his final rally at Cheonggye Plaza in Seoul. At 8 p.m., Jeong Won-oh, the party's candidate for Seoul Metropolitan City Mayor, along with 25 district mayor candidates and candidates for city and district councils, will gather at Cheonggyecheon Plaza for a final show of strength. Secretary-General Cho Seung-rae explained the choice of venue, saying, "We considered several factors, including how easily the district mayor candidates running in all 25 autonomous districts, as well as city and district council candidates, could gather there." He added, "Cheonggyecheon is at the center of Seoul. We wanted to campaign there and spread that energy throughout every corner of the city."
Meanwhile, parliamentary leader Han Byung-do held his final rally in North Jeolla Province. North Jeolla has never been lost to another candidate during the 8th term of popularly elected local government heads, but this election could see independent candidate Kim Kwan-young break that stronghold. Kim, who was expelled from the party over allegations of distributing envelopes of cash, is running as an independent and has been performing strongly against Lee Won-taek, the DPK candidate, while openly clashing with Jeong's leadership. If the DPK loses in its traditional stronghold of North Jeolla, the party's overall performance nationwide could be overshadowed, even if it does well elsewhere. Han's final rally there suggests the party is devoting all its energy to defending North Jeolla.
People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok spent the final day of the campaign focusing on South Chungcheong Province. The province includes his constituency of Boryeong–Seocheon and is regarded as his political home. He appears to be treating the South Chungcheong gubernatorial race as a key battleground and is throwing his support behind Kim Tae-heum's reelection bid. South Chungcheong is also holding a by-election for the Gongju–Buyeo–Cheongyang constituency, another closely contested race, so Jang is concentrating on helping Yun Yong-geun enter the National Assembly. A senior People Power Party official said, "We are wrapping up where we began, and where we end in South Chungcheong could spread outward."
After finishing his final South Chungcheong rally by 9 p.m., the last time he can use a microphone, Jang heads to Seoul for a street-style campaign. At 10 p.m., he will appeal for support around Cheonggyecheon before moving to the area near Hongik University Station in Mapo, where many young people pass through. The People Power Party believes a higher turnout among the 2030 generation would work in its favor. Song Eon-seok, the parliamentary leader, also released a statement titled "An Appeal to the 2030 Generation to Vote" and said, "We understand that many young people feel there is no party that truly represents them under the two-party system, and we humbly reflect on that." He added, "We will work tirelessly to stand on the side of young people."
Meanwhile, candidates from both parties in the Seoul mayoral election, often seen as a barometer of public sentiment, appealed for every vote at their final press conferences. DPK candidate Jeong Won-oh said, "The election on the 3rd is one that will give strength to the Lee Jae-myung administration." He added, "Seoul must stand together to protect people's lives and help South Korea rise again." People Power Party candidate Oh Se-hoon said the opposition had fallen short, but urged voters to "leave one last safety net so that South Korea does not tilt entirely to one side."
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haeram@fnnews.com Lee Hae-ram, Kim Hyeong-gu, Lee Seol-young Reporter