Parties Make Last-minute Appeals to Voters

With the parliamentary elections just three days away, leaders from the pro-government Grand National Party and the liberal United Democratic Party staged their campaigns to woo voter support Sunday. The GNP used the slogan “Vote for a New Korea” and the UDP “Vote for a Strong Opposition Party to Prevent One-party Rule.”

In a news conference at GNP headquarters, party leader Kang Jae-sup said, “The GNP must win half of the National Assembly seats to make changes and reforms for building a new Korea. If we fail to do so even with half of the seats, we will humbly accept any criticism.”

“The 18th parliamentary elections will be a struggle between those who seek to build a new nation through change and reform, and those who want to protect the vested interests they enjoyed during the lost decade of stagnation and frustration.”

UDP Chairman Sohn Hak-kyu told a meeting of his party’s election campaign committee, “The GNP and President Lee [Myung-bak] want more than just a stable number of seats. They are trying to dominate the National Assembly by winning an overwhelming number of seats.”

Sohn urged the people to cast their votes to protect democracy against the GNP’s threat of “one-party rule.”

Former Justice Minister Kang Geum-sil, who heads the UDP’s election campaign, said while canvassing for candidates running in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province, “Vote for candidate number one [the number of the UDP on ballots] so that the National Assembly stands strong with a powerful opposition party.”

Liberty Forward Party leader Lee Hoi-chang said at a market in Hongseong, South Chungcheong Province, “The Chungcheong provinces have been the victims of a power struggle between Yeongnam [the Gyeongsang provinces] and Honam [the Jeolla provinces]. Neither Yeongnam’s GNP nor Honam’s UDP can serve the people in this region. Only the LFP and I can serve you because Chungcheong is where our roots are.”

Chairman Chun Yong-se of the progressive Democratic Labor Party made a speech for the party’s candidate Kwon Young-ghil in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province. “Voters should teach the GNP a lesson in the elections because it only aggravated income disparity by favoring only the rich and large conglomerates,” Chun said.

The Pro-Park Alliance, a group of former GNP lawmakers loyal to ex-party leader Park Geun-hye, also held stumping sessions in Seoul. Alliance chief Seo Cheong-won said, “Our allies will not tolerate the GNP’s illegal obstruction of our campaign activities and its abuse of government authority.”

The Creative Korea Party blasted President Lee’s visit to Eunpyeong New Town in Seoul Saturday. Party spokesman Kim Seok-soo said, “President Lee is blatantly abusing his government authority to make the election favorable to the GNP.”

taylor55@donga.com