Lee Jae-myung Faces D-100 to Presidential Election in Honam, the "Heart of the Democratic Party"

3 Nights 4 Days Honam Schedule Begins
Presidential Election D-100 Marked in Honam
Democratic Party Emphasizes Reform Commitment
Strong Unity Needed

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporters Koo Chae-eun and Jeon Jin-young] Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate, will spend the D-100 day of the presidential election (29th) in Honam, known as the "heart of the Democratic Party." The 3-night, 4-day schedule includes stops at Mokpo on the 26th, Jangheung on the 27th, Gwangju on the 28th, and Yeonggwang on the 29th. Honam is a strategic stronghold called the "home base" for the Democratic Party, but it was the only region where Lee lost the top spot during the primary elections. Moreover, Yoon Seok-youl, the People Power Party candidate, has support nearing 20% there, making a "more solid unity" necessary. There is also speculation that a meeting with former party leader Lee Nak-yeon, a competitor during the primaries, in Yeonggwang, Jeollanam-do, could highlight the "One Team spirit."

On the first day, Lee will visit Mokpo, the first stop of his weekly "Maetabus" (a bus for the people's livelihood). During a YouTube live broadcast on his way to visit Mokpo Dongbu Market, he said, "We created a new government through the Candlelight Revolution, but the public's expectations are high, and the third Democratic government has not met them." He added, "Even if the intentions were good and efforts were made, politics means taking full responsibility for the results. We take full responsibility for the housing price issues and the hardships faced by ordinary people, and from that point, we will reflect deeply and find a new path," appealing for support.

That night, Lee will visit Haenam for a "Myeongsim Camping" event. On the 27th, he will visit Jangheung County in Jeollanam-do, starting with a visit to the Jangheung Saturday Market. The next day (28th), he will move to Gwangju and attend the launch ceremony of the Gwangju Great Transformation Election Committee. On the final day, the 29th, after presiding over the National Election Committee meeting in Gwangju, he will visit Yeonggwang and tour the Terminal Market. Although not confirmed, there remains a possibility of a surprise appearance by former party leader Lee Nak-yeon, who hails from Yeonggwang, Jeollanam-do.

Lee's support rate in Honam is higher than Yoon's, but it is difficult to say it is "overwhelming." In a poll conducted from the 20th to 21st, Lee's support rate in Gwangju, Jeonbuk, and Jeonnam was 60.8%, creating a 41.7 percentage point gap over Yoon's 19.1%. Although the gap between the candidates is large, compared to former Presidents Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye, who did not surpass the 10% support rate in Honam, this is not a particularly high level of support. On the same day, Democratic Party floor leader Yoon Ho-jung said at the party's Supreme Council meeting, "We have humbly accepted the harsh criticism and scolding from Gwangju and Jeonnam, and during this Honam visit, ahead of the launch of the new election committee, we will take a lower posture to deeply listen to public sentiment and use this as an opportunity for reflection."

The poll was commissioned by Asia Economy to Win-G Korea Consulting and conducted nationwide among voters aged 18 and older from the 20th to 21st. A total of 1,025 people responded, with an overall response rate of 7.5%. The survey method was wireless ARS using 100% mobile phone virtual numbers. The sample was extracted with weighted values (cell weighting) by gender, age, and region based on the resident registration population as of the end of January 2021 from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety. The sampling error is ±3.1 percentage points at a 95% confidence level. For detailed survey information, refer to the Win-G Korea Consulting website or the Central Election Poll Deliberation Commission website.