Official Candidate Registration for General Election Begins... Ruling and Opposition Parties Aim to Strengthen Strongholds + α

Handonghun Strengthens Base by Visiting Daegu, Lee Jaemyung in Gwangju
Official Candidate Registration Until the 22nd

Female leadership will simultaneously start solidifying their strongholds on the 21st. As the official general election campaign begins, strategic decisions must be made regarding competitive districts, so it is interpreted that they are securing relatively safe strongholds in advance.

Han Dong-hoon, the Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, will visit Daegu, considered a representative stronghold of the People Power Party, on this day. Chairman Han plans to meet citizens by visiting major locations in Daegu such as Seomun Market and Dongseong-ro, starting with the opening ceremony of the election office for Yoon Jae-ok, the party’s floor leader candidate for Dalseo-gu E district in Daegu.

Handonghun, the General Election Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, is speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the 22nd National Assembly election central election committee and the candidate nomination meeting held at the National Assembly Members' Office Building on the 19th. Photo by Kim Hyunmin kimhyun81@

Earlier, Chairman Han visited Dongjak-gu, Seodaemun-gu, and Mapo-gu in Seoul on the 19th, and on the 20th, he met citizens together with preliminary candidates who received nominations in the Anyang area of Gyeonggi Province.

Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, also began his official schedule on this day by visiting Gwangju, where the party’s support is strong, to pay respects at the National May 18th Democratic Cemetery. After holding a joint election strategy meeting with the Democratic Party and the satellite proportional representation party of the opposition, the Democratic United Party, in Gwangju, Lee plans to meet citizens near the back gate of Chonnam National University. He will then visit Gunsan in North Jeolla Province to meet with citizens.

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, visited Incheon Singi Market on the 20th along with Park Chan-dae, candidate for Incheon Yeonsu-gap in the 22nd general election, Nam Young-hee for Dong-gu Michuhol, and Heo Jong-sik for Dong-gu Michuhol-gap, greeting citizens. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

A notable point in the schedule is that, besides the stronghold visits, it also reflects visits to competitive districts within the party. After finishing his Daegu schedule, Chairman Han arranged to visit Gyeongsan in the evening. Although the People Power Party’s support is strong in Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province (TK), Gyeongsan is where former lawmaker Choi Kyung-hwan, who served four terms, is running as an independent. The People Power Party has nominated former presidential office administrator Jo Ji-yeon to face off against him. Similarly, after finishing his Honam region schedule, Leader Lee included a visit to Nonsan. Nonsan was originally won by the Democratic Party in the last general election, but since lawmaker Kim Jong-min moved to the New Future Party and changed his candidacy to Sejong Gap district, the Democratic Party nominated former Nonsan Mayor Hwang Myung-seon, and the People Power Party nominated former Army General Park Sung-gyu, who are now competing in the election.

Meanwhile, candidate registration for the April general election began on this day. Candidates must complete their registration at the election commission office of their respective electoral districts by tomorrow. Registration is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The order of candidates on the ballot will be decided based on the status as of the 22nd. Official election campaigning will begin in earnest on the 28th. Until then, as it is still the preliminary candidate period, election campaigning using loudspeakers is prohibited. However, once official campaigning starts, the use of loudspeakers and outdoor campaigning targeting multiple people will be allowed. Election campaigning will continue until the 9th of next month. Early voting will take place over two days, the 5th and 6th of next month, and the main voting day will be on the 10th.