Which 'Heomji' Did the Ruling and Opposition Leaders Visit During the 7-Day Election Campaign?

Visited 47 Ruling Party Incumbent Districts and 18 Opposition Districts
Han Travels More Than 3 Democratic Party Campaign Chiefs
Lee Uses Spare Time Amid Trial Schedule to Support Campaigning

As of the 4th, the official election campaign has entered its 8th day. During the 7 days of campaigning, the heads of the ruling and opposition election committees appealed for support by visiting battlegrounds or 'zero-seat' difficult districts rather than their strongholds.

Asia Economy analyzed the places visited by Han Dong-hoon, the overall election committee chairman of the People Power Party, and Lee Jae-myung, Lee Hae-chan, and Kim Boo-kyum, the co-chairmen of the Democratic Party, based on basic local government units (cities, counties, autonomous districts). Chairman Han visited 47 areas where Democratic Party members are incumbents, while the Democratic Party chairmen visited 18 areas where People Power Party members are incumbents.

General election campaign begins. [Source=Yonhap News]

Han's Extensive Campaign Surpasses Democratic Party's 'Mega Election Committee'

Handonghun, the Chief Election Strategy Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, is appealing for support together with candidates Kim Youngju and Park Yongchan at Yeongjin Market in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul on the 29th. Photo by Kim Hyunmin kimhyun81@

Chairman Han visited a total of 72 constituencies over 7 days from the official start of the campaign on the 28th of last month through the 3rd of this month. Of these, 47 were areas where the Democratic Party holds seats. Han serves as the sole overall election committee chairman, while the Democratic Party operates under a three-person co-chair system. Nevertheless, Chairman Han visited more areas in one week than the Democratic Party's election committee. He is conducting an extensive campaign with the determination to visit all regions before the election.

In the early days, Chairman Han focused on the Seoul metropolitan area. On the first day of campaigning, he visited Garak Market in Songpa-gu, Seoul, a ruling party stronghold, but afterward visited areas without People Power Party seats such as Mapo-gu, Seodaemun-gu, Jung-gu and Seongdong-gu, Gwangjin-gu, Dongdaemun-gu, as well as Nowon, Dobong, and Gangbuk-gu. On that day, Han also ventured outside Seoul to visit Namyangju and Uijeongbu in northern Gyeonggi Province, where the Democratic Party won five seats in the last general election.

On the 1st, Chairman Han visited Busan and Changwon and Gimhae in South Gyeongsang Province. Among these areas, he mainly visited battlegrounds or places where new candidates, not incumbents, were running. For example, in Buk-gu Gap, Busan, the Democratic Party candidate Jeon Jae-soo is the incumbent. The People Power Party is moving its five-term candidate Seo Byung-soo from Jin-gu Gap to Buk-gu Gap in Busan to reclaim the seat. Gimhae is also an area where the Democratic Party won all seats in the last general election.

Lee Actively Utilizes Spare Time Despite Schedule Constraints

Lee Jae-myung, the party leader, campaigning for the election. [Source=Yonhap News]

Lee Jae-myung, who is running as a candidate in Gyeyang-gu Eul, Incheon, faces time constraints due to trial schedules. Nevertheless, he 'divided' regions with Chairman Kim Boo-kyum to cover difficult districts they could not visit. The Democratic Party is actively utilizing its co-chair system.

From the 28th of last month to the 3rd of this month, the Democratic Party chairmen visited 55 areas, including the Jeju 4·3 Memorial Ceremony. Notably, they held the election committee kickoff rally on the first day of campaigning in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, where the presidential office is located, designating it as the 'stronghold for regime judgment.' The current Yongsan-gu member of the National Assembly is Kwon Young-se of the People Power Party (four-term).

Among the 55 areas visited by the Democratic Party chairmen over 7 days, 18 were districts where the incumbent is a People Power Party member. Although the Democratic Party secured a majority of constituency seats in the 21st general election and thus has relatively few difficult districts, it is actively targeting battlegrounds such as Suseong-gu in Daegu, Nam-gu and Ulju-gun in Ulsan, and Gumi and Pohang in North Gyeongsang Province. Chairman Lee plans to tour Busan, Ulsan, Daejeon, Daegu, and Chungcheong provinces from that day through the next (the 5th). During travel, he also conducted YouTube live broadcasts to remotely support specific constituency candidates.