Lee Jae-myung Finds 'Heomji' PK "South Korea Is in a State of Psychological Civil War"

Lee Visits 2 Ulsan Mayoral Offices, 3 Busan Mayoral Offices
On Ulsan Buk-gu Unification: "Selfishness Must Be Abandoned"
In Busan: "Will Actively Support Relocation of Public Institutions to Local Areas"

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, began actively rallying votes in the Yeongnam region on the 15th, visiting Ulsan in the morning and Busan in the afternoon. Some constituencies in the PK (Busan·Gyeongnam) area, which includes Busan and Ulsan, are classified as "winnable tough districts" for the Democratic Party. The ruling and opposition parties are actively competing for votes in the PK region, with Han Dong-hoon, chairman of the People Power Party's Emergency Response Committee, visiting Buk-gu, Busan, the day before.

On the day, Lee visited Dong-Ulsan General Market in Dong-gu, Ulsan, and mentioned the lack of communication between the government, ruling party, and opposition parties. He criticized, "(President Yoon) has not met with the opposition leader even once in almost two years," adding, "When the opposition proposes bills and policies, they are rejected, delayed, or even vetoed and nullified." He continued, "What is more serious is that differences are exposed, sides are divided, people are pushed away, conflicts arise, and fights break out," emphasizing, "As a result, incidents like stabbing the opposition leader in the neck with a knife occur."

On the 15th, Lee Jae-myung, the representative, is speaking at Dong-Ulsan General Market in Dong-gu, Ulsan.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Furthermore, he said, "But the crime scene was cleaned with water, destroying evidence, and the investigation was not properly conducted," adding, "This shows why my neck was stabbed in broad daylight." While making this statement, Lee lowered his shirt collar to reveal the wound. He then stated, "South Korea is now in a state of psychological civil war," and said, "We must move from confrontation to harmony, from division to unity, from the past to the future, and from dictatorship to democracy."

At Suam Hanwoo Night Market in Nam-gu, Ulsan, which he visited just before, Lee also discussed the 'Ulsan Buk-gu unification.' When asked if he had a message for Lee Sang-heon, the member of the National Assembly for Ulsan Buk-gu, he said, "He is a great person," but added, "If we abandon selfishness and overcome small differences for everyone, for the people and the nation, the anti-Yoon Seok-yeol forces will win in Ulsan." He also mentioned, "Yesterday, Representative Byun Jae-il was cut off in the so-called cutoff but came out to the Cheongju site," and requested, "He must endure the pain and hardship for the victory of the democratic reform progressive camp."

The Democratic Party decided not to field a candidate in Ulsan Buk-gu and to unify with Yoon Jong-oh of the Progressive Party through negotiations. Incumbent Lee Sang-heon opposed the negotiations and left the Democratic Party on the 28th of last month, running as an independent.

Lee Sang-heon, Ulsan Buk-gu Council Member (second from the right)
Photo by Yonhap News

Next, in Busan, Lee emphasized balanced development and economic growth.

At Gijang Market in Busan, Lee promised, "Those who have done the work well keep their promises well," and pledged, "We will complete Busan's development by promoting the Democratic Party's three core projects: the construction of Gadeokdo New Airport, redevelopment of Busan North Port, and undergrounding of the Gyeongbu Line high-speed railway." He added, "We will transform Busan into a global cultural tourism city visited by people worldwide," and said, "To foster it as a holy ground for e-sports, we will promote the establishment of base facilities and create K-content infrastructure such as complex cultural complexes."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

At the subsequent press conference, he responded to a question about the 'Industrial Bank's relocation to Busan.' He stated, "The relocation of public institutions, including financial institutions, to local areas for the development of Busan has been a major policy continuously pursued by the Democratic Party and Democratic administrations," adding, "While discussions are needed on which public institutions will be placed in which regions, the Democratic Party is proactive about relocating public institutions to local areas for the development of Busan."