Rival parties vow to win in Wednesday’s by-elections

The ruling and opposition parties exerted all-out efforts in their campaigns on the last day ahead of October 30 by reelection and by-elections that take place at Hwaseong A district in Gyeonggi Province, and Pohang Nam-Ulleung districts in North Gyeongsang Province. The ruling Saenuri Party sought to consolidate its victory expecting landslide wins in both constituencies, while the main opposition Democratic Party endeavored to garner swing votes and young voters, saying that a dramatic upset win is expected at Hwaseong A district, the main battleground in their race.

Suh Chung-won, Saenuri’s candidate for Hwaseong A district, widely moved around on Tuesday the townships of Bongdam and Hwangnam, where about half of the voters are concentrated. Suh said, “If I become a seventh-term lawmaker, I will exert all-out efforts to ensure that the Saenuri Party will fully display its capacity to help the Park Geun-hye administration seamlessly implement state administration by unifying the party.” Saenuri chairman Hwang Woo-yea also visited Hwaseong and urged voters to support Suh.

Oh Il-yong, the Democratic Party candidate in the district, claimed that public criticism for the “top-down nomination” of the Saenuri candidate and calls for judgment of the incumbent administration for state agencies’ intervention in the presidential election is shifting voter sentiment. Oh said, “I will become a stick in the Republic of Korea where elections are misguided, and a politician of hope who will revive the self-confidence of Hwaseong that has been on shaky ground” in urging voters to participate in the vote. Democratic Party Chairman Kim Han-ghil and former chairman Sohn Hak-kyu also visited Hwaseong and electioneered for Oh.

Park Myeong-jae, Saenuri’s candidate for Pohang Nam-Ulleung district, said, “I will transform Pohang into a hub in the era of the Pacific Rim.” His rival Heo Dae-mahn of the Democratic Party said, “I hope to overcome the regionalism in politics where ruling party candidates monopolize National Assembly seats with voters in Pohang.”