United Future Party Faces 'Emergency' in Capital Region Elections... Kim Jong-in and Yoo Seung-min Focused Campaigning

Ruling Party Approval Stagnates...Trailing in Candidate Polls
Kim Jong-in Pushes Through 6 Visits in One Day
Yoo Seung-min Ends Hiatus...Kwon Young-se, Lee Hye-hoon Join Support Efforts

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyemin] With just two weeks left until the April 15 general election, the Future United Party is facing an emergency in the 'capital region election.' This is because the party's support rate has stagnated, and candidates running in fiercely contested districts are trailing in various opinion polls. Even incumbent lawmakers are in close races, and the aftermath of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) is making it difficult to generate election momentum. In response, Kim Jong-in, the general election campaign committee chairman who joined late, and Yoo Seung-min, a lawmaker who had been inactive since the merger, are seeking a breakthrough through concentrated campaigning in the capital region.

Chairman Kim is conducting a vigorous support campaign on the 1st, touring Dongjak-gu in Seoul and Suwon and Anyang in Gyeonggi Province. Starting at the campaign office of candidate Na Kyung-won (Dongjak-gap) in the morning, he visits six locations in one day, including candidates Kwon Young-se (Yongsan), Oh Shin-hwan (Gwanak-eul), Choi Young-geun (Hwaseong-gap, Gyeonggi), Jung Mi-kyung (Suwon-eun, Gyeonggi), and Lee Pil-woon (Anyang Manan, Gyeonggi). He gathered candidates from surrounding districts to boost the overall election atmosphere in the region.

Since joining the Future United Party on the 29th of last month, Chairman Kim has visited 14 campaign offices over four days up to this day. Considering that he met candidates from surrounding districts together at one campaign office, the total exceeds 35. This accounts for nearly one-third of the 121 constituencies in the capital region. He met twice with Tae Gu-min (Taeyoung-ho), the candidate for Gangnam-gap, with whom he had initial conflicts.

The Future United Party is deeply worried about a repeat of the capital region election defeat from four years ago. The party aims to secure 50 seats out of the 121 constituencies in the capital region (compared to 35 seats in the 20th general election). However, the party is struggling to gain traction in the capital region, which is sensitive to last-minute election issues and momentum. According to the first opinion poll released after candidate registration (Korea Gallup), the Future United Party received 21% support in Seoul and 19% in Incheon and Gyeonggi, showing about half the support compared to the Democratic Party. In hotly contested districts such as Jongno (where Hwang Kyo-ahn is running), Dongjak-eun (candidate Na Kyung-won), Gwangjin-eul (candidate Oh Se-hoon), Seodaemun-gap (candidate Lee Seong-heon), Guro-eul (candidate Kim Yong-tae), and Anyang Dongan-gu-eul (candidate Shim Jae-cheol), various opinion polls show results within the margin of error or even trailing by more than 10 percentage points.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

As the situation worsened, Yoo Seung-min, who had disappeared after the merger, also joined the election support campaign. Starting on the 27th of last month with candidate Jin Soo-hee (Seoul Jung-gu and Seongdong-gap), Yoo has been visiting two to three locations a day to individually support capital region candidates. He is supporting not only candidates from the New Conservative Party faction but also strategically nominated capital region candidates such as Yoo Kyung-jun (Gangnam-byeong) and Song Han-seop (Yangcheon-gap). On this day as well, Yoo visits the campaign offices of candidates Kwon Young-se (Yongsan, Seoul), Lee Hye-hoon (Dongdaemun-eul, Seoul), and Kim Jae-seop (Dobong-gap, Seoul).

The key question is whether their concentrated support campaigns can overturn the last-minute election atmosphere in the region. Candidates are relying on their support to gain backing from undecided voters and moderates, as well as to instill a sense of stability. A candidate running in Seoul said, "Many passionate supporters feel reassured by the appearance of Chairman Kim Jong-in. They don't think we're just a lost cause," adding, "The economic awareness and alternatives they present will definitely help move undecided voters."