Lee stresses competence, Kim warns of dictatorship

With just two days left until the June 3 presidential election, candidates made a final push in politically challenging regions. Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party focused on conservative strongholds to secure a clear majority, while Kim Moon-soo of the People Power Party aimed for a late surge through a high-intensity campaign in areas where his party has weaker support.

Lee visited Andong, Daegu, Ulsan, and Busan, targeting regions that had traditionally been unfavorable to his party. His return to the Daegu–North Gyeongsang (TK) region, which he also visited on the second day of the official campaign last month, showed a deliberate strategy to appeal to voters in the conservative Yeongnam area.

Speaking in front of a statue of former President Park Chung-hee at Dongdaegu Station Square, Lee declared, “We don’t deal in left or right,” adding, “We are the competent ones. You are the competent ones,” highlighting his message of national unity.

Kim focused his campaign on the Seoul metropolitan area, where 51 percent of the electorate resides, visiting ten opposition-leaning districts such as Suwon, Seongnam, and Gangseo in Seoul. He criticized Lee in Suwon’s Gwanggyo district, saying, “He’s trying to become a bulletproof dictator, wrapped in bulletproof glass, bulletproof vests, and bulletproof legislation. We must stop this.”

Lee Jun-seok of the Reform Party held a rally at Lake Park in Dongtan, Hwaseong, his own constituency. He emphasized, “This election is not about the left or the right, but about moving Korea forward,” and pledged to bring youth to the center of Korean politics.

Final rallies have been set for the day before the election, on June 2. Lee will hold his last rally at Yeouido Park in Seoul, Kim will campaign at Seoul Plaza in front of Seoul City Hall, and Lee Jun-seok will wrap up in Suseong District, Daegu.


Seong-Mo Kim mo@donga.com