14 Incheon Candidates Including Lee Jae-myung Gather, "If We Win in Incheon, We Win Nationwide"

'Teotbat' Strengthening Newly Established and Contested Areas in Incheon
12 of 13 Incheon National Assembly Seats Held by Democratic Party
Lee Seong-man, Who Left Democratic Party and Ran as Independent, Also Attended

To consolidate the votes of Incheon for the Democratic Party of Korea, 14 local constituency candidates gathered in Seo-gu, Incheon. The candidates, who gathered near Jeongseojin Central Market, appealed for support in unison, saying, "The public sentiment of Incheon is the heart of the Republic of Korea."

On the afternoon of the 20th, Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party, held an on-site press conference at Jeongseojin Central Market located in Gajeong-dong, Seo-gu, Incheon, and said, "The electoral districts in Seo-gu, Incheon have increased from two to three, but this area is said to be somewhat difficult," adding, "Please support candidates Kim Gyo-heung, Mo Kyung-jong, and Lee Yong-woo." Then, Leader Lee held hands with each candidate and shouted "Banzai." He continued, "Each person here and every YouTube viewer watching this scene is the media," emphasizing, "If you do not act, you are siding with the vested interests, so you should at least shout at the wall."

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is holding green onions and speaking during his visit to the Tojigeumgo Market in Michuhol-gu, Incheon on the 20th. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

On the same day, Leader Lee also announced several pledges for Incheon. He stated, "We will prepare a new future and a greater leap for Incheon," and added, "We will start early construction of the GTX-B line and promptly promote the second Gyeongin Line metropolitan railroad to open the era of 'connected Incheon'." He pledged, "We will underground Line 2 of Incheon and build a railway network in Gyeyang Technovalley to advance Incheon as a leading city in Korea." Furthermore, he added, "We will support the credit recovery of small business owners and self-employed people, improve living conditions on the West Sea 5 Islands, and establish an infectious disease specialized hospital."

When asked, "What do you think about the fact that the number of seats in Incheon increased by one despite the Democratic Party holding many seats in Incheon during the 21st general election?" he answered, "The population of Incheon is continuously increasing, so compared to other regions, the number of seats relative to the population is not that high." He continued, "However, from the perspective of balanced development between local areas and the metropolitan area, local areas need consideration, so Incheon is somewhat disadvantaged," and said, "It will continue to grow and develop, and the number of local electoral districts is likely to increase."

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is shaking hands with merchants during his visit to Jeongseojin Central Market located in Seo-gu, Incheon, on the afternoon of the 20th.
Photo by Oh Ji-eun

There was also a question about the news that candidate Noh Jong-myeon, running in Bupyeong-gu Gap, Incheon, unified with independent lawmaker Lee Seong-man. Leader Lee said, "Please ask that question to the lawmaker," but added, "From the Democratic Party's perspective, it was clear that all forces and people who agree to judge the Yoon administration must come together." He also said, "The lawmaker must feel very unfair," and "Nevertheless, I am grateful that he tearfully joined the ranks to judge the Yoon administration."

At the press conference, lawmaker Lee Seong-man, who served as a member of the National Assembly for Bupyeong-gu Gap, Incheon, also attended. Although he entered the National Assembly as a member of the Democratic Party, he left the party during his term due to a 'money envelope suspicion.' Until recently, he had announced his intention to run as an independent in Bupyeong-gu Gap, Incheon, but on the morning of the day, he agreed to unify with Democratic Party candidate Noh Jong-myeon.