Election Campaign Starts at Midnight on the 28th... Ruling and Opposition Parties Cry Out for Judgment

Ruling and Opposition Proportional Satellite Parties Also Begin to Court Voters
Jokook "Will Thoroughly Achieve Prosecution Reform"

The official election campaign for the April 10 general election will run for 13 days starting at midnight the next day. The ruling party, the People Power Party, is expected to emphasize the 'opposition party judgment theory,' while the opposition party, the Democratic Party of Korea, will highlight the 'regime judgment theory' during the campaign period.

Handonghun, the Chief Election Strategy Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, is holding a press conference on current issues at the central party office in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 27th. Photo by Kim Hyunmin kimhyun81@

The People Power Party plans to start its campaign at 12 a.m. on the 28th at Garak Market in Songpa-gu, Seoul. Key party figures, including Han Dong-hoon, the emergency committee chairman of the People Power Party, will participate. Chairman Han said at the election countermeasures committee meeting held in Incheon that morning, "With only 15 days left until the election, it is easy to make verbal mistakes when emotions run high," adding, "I believe we must act and speak in a manner that meets the public's expectations."

The Democratic Party will hold a kickoff rally at 10 a.m. on the same day at Yongsan Station in Seoul. The rally will be attended by Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the Democratic Party. At the party's election committee meeting held in Chungju on the 27th, Leader Lee stated, "We will revive the livelihoods devastated by the Yoon Seok-yeol administration and rebuild the collapsed democracy."

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is greeting commuters and appealing for support in the general election at Ahyeon Station on the Seoul subway on the 26th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

Both the People Power Party and the Democratic Party are raising the 'judgment theory.' The People Power Party argues that the Democratic Party, which held 180 seats in the 21st National Assembly, must be judged. They criticize the Democratic Party for obstructing the Yoon Seok-yeol administration and pursuing legislative dominance. On the other hand, the Democratic Party is emphasizing the regime judgment theory by highlighting issues such as high inflation and the appointment of Lee Jong-seop as ambassador to Australia. Leader Lee and the Democratic Party are stressing livelihoods by focusing on President Yoon's remark about '1,875 won per radish.'

Satellite proportional representation parties have also begun activities to capture voter sentiment. Inyo Han, the election committee chairman of the People Power Party’s satellite party, the People’s Future Party, visited Baengnyeongdo, Incheon, on a one-night, two-day schedule starting the day before. Chairman In also emphasized the opposition party judgment theory at the election committee meeting the previous day, saying, "Leader Lee and Cho Guk, leader of the Cho Guk Innovation Party, made statements and actions that seriously threaten democracy." On the same day, Leader Lee held a joint on-site election committee meeting with the Democratic Party’s satellite party, the Democratic United Party, at the campaign office of candidate Kim Kyung-wook in Chungju, Chungbuk. Leader Lee asserted the regime judgment theory, saying, "Power that lightly regards its responsibilities and even betrays them must be strictly judged by the people."

Cho Kuk, leader of the Cho Kuk Innovation Party, is holding a press conference on reforming prosecutorial and other power institutions at the National Assembly on the 27th. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

The Cho Guk Innovation Party held a press conference at the National Assembly communication office that day to announce its 'power institution reform' pledges, including prosecutorial reform. Leader Cho said, "The prosecution privatizes power with an extreme double standard, wielding a steel club against the opposition and previous governments, but treating the Yoon Seok-yeol administration like cotton candy," adding, "We will thoroughly achieve prosecutorial reform first in the 22nd National Assembly."

The official election campaign will continue until midnight on the day before the general election, which is the 9th of next month. Candidates may conduct election campaigns using printed materials and facilities, public speeches and dialogues, media outlets, and information and communication networks. On election day, election campaigning is allowed via the internet, email, text messages, and social networking services (SNS).