Na Supporter "Experience Cannot Be Bought with Money"
Yoon Supporter "Must Come Out of the Capital Area"
Han Supporter "Party Leader Is Not Choosing the President's Avatar"
Won Supporter "President Yoon Is Struggling, Cannot Lose"
The joint rally of the People Power Party in Daegu and Gyeongbuk held on the 12th was bustling with party members and supporters from various regions. We asked the people gathered to support Na Kyung-won, Yoon Sang-hyun, Won Hee-ryong, and Han Dong-hoon about their 'reasons for support.' Supporters, including native Daegu residents and those who came from Seoul to cheer, spoke fluently about why their candidate should become the 'party leader,' regardless of their chances of winning.
Na Kyung-won is experienced and a winner... Losers are useless
Choi Yoon-joo (61, female), who came as a group from Dongjak-gu, Seoul, Na Kyung-won's constituency, was an enthusiastic fan of candidate Na. When asked why she supports Na, Choi said, "She has been in the National Assembly for over 20 years, and there is no one who works like her. Someone who has worked for a long time does the job well," adding, "I have liked candidate Na for a long time." Regarding the difference between the other three candidates and Na, she explained with a smile, "Fundamentally, it's a man and a woman. If there is no mother in the family, that household cannot function."
When asked if candidates Won and Yoon also have a lot of National Assembly experience, she said, "It's different. Candidate Won lost to Lee Jae-myung, yet he says he will fight again," adding, "What good is it if he fights again and loses again? Candidate Na won. Losers are useless." On why candidate Na is better than candidate Han, she said, "Candidate Han is also good, but his experience is short," and added, "Experience cannot be bought with money. Candidate Na has a long political career."
At the joint rally of the People Power Party in Daegu and Gyeongbuk held on the 12th, supporters of candidate Na Kyung-won are chanting her name. [Photo by Choi Young-chan]
Kang Jae-wook (55, male) from Daegu said, "Candidate Na is smart and has a good character," adding, "I think she will lead the party stably by embracing conflicts."
From Geochang to Michuhol for Yoon Sang-hyun... The party leader should come from the metropolitan area
Kim Chang-yoon (69, male) lives in Geochang, Gyeongnam, but he likes candidate Yoon so much that he visited Yoon's constituency in Michuhol-gu, Incheon, three times during the April 10 general election to support him. Kim said, "(Candidate Yoon) is a five-term lawmaker from the metropolitan area. I am from Gyeongnam, but this time the party leader should be from the metropolitan area," adding, "Our country is divided east and west. Politics will stabilize only if the party leader comes from the metropolitan area." When asked if Na Kyung-won is also a metropolitan candidate, he said, "No," and shouted candidate Yoon's name three times.
Supporters of candidate Yoon Sang-hyun are waiting for him at the United Future Party Daegu·Gyeongbuk joint rally held in Daegu on the 12th. [Photo by Choi Young-chan]
Kim joked, "It's a big problem that candidate Yoon's approval rating is not rising. It should be over 10%, but it is not," adding, "We are now trying to create 10% with a nationwide organization. There is an underground organization."
Yang Deok-hee (in her 50s, female), who came from Seoul to Daegu early in the morning, said, "He is the only candidate who has upheld conservative spirit the longest on the conservative side and has the strongest power to unite the People Power Party. Our candidate Yoon," adding, "He understands the hearts of the people well, understands the hearts of party members well, and I think he can smoothly lead the policy part."
Yang said, "Personally, I have never supported a specific politician," emphasizing, "After watching candidate Yoon's interviews, I thought he is the person qualified to lift the People Power Party out of crisis."
Does being close to the president make the country run well... In the end, only Han Dong-hoon
Supporters of candidate Han Dong-hoon dismissed the recent allegations as "nonsense political attacks." Regarding the relationship between candidate Han and the president, they drew a clear line, saying, "They just need to do their own jobs."
Supporters of candidate Han Dong-hoon are waiting for him at the United Party's Daegu-Gyeongbuk joint rally held in Daegu on the 12th. [Photo by Choi Young-chan]
Lee Min-gu (64, male), the representative of the officially supporting group 'Awakened Citizens' Solidarity,' said, "After the crushing defeat in the April 10 general election, the People Power Party has almost become a failing party," adding, "To reform this, improve the image, and make it a changing party that can embrace centrists, candidate Han must first become the party leader." Lee said, "Other candidates still do not have the image of reform," emphasizing, "If candidate Han is elected but fails to carry out reform properly, he will be punished again, but now there is hope that candidate Han will completely change the People Power Party."
Lee criticized the allegations against candidate Han raised by other candidates, saying, "The current party primary and debates are really trash primaries. It should not be like this," adding, "It seems they have no intention of becoming one team again, and it's a strategy of 'you die, I die,' 'let's all die together.'" He continued, "Watching the debate on the previous day, I thought candidate Won was making baseless allegations and crossing the line," adding, "Has there ever been such a debate in the People Power Party convention? Candidate Won did not seem to work that hard when fighting with Lee Jae-myung."
Regarding the relationship between the president and candidate Han, he said, "People say they are estranged, but isn't it possible to be estranged?" adding, "Are we going to choose the president's avatar in the party primary?" He continued, "I don't know if they are on bad terms, but does the country run well if they get along?" adding, "The relationship between the party and government is just about doing one's own job. I don't understand why people keep saying they have to meet every day and be close."
Lee Sang-ae (67, female) was not holding any cheering goods or wearing clothes supporting a specific candidate. She said she came here with her husband from Gumi, Gyeongbuk, to support candidate Han. Lee said, "Watching the candidates' broadcast debates, it was indeed candidate Han," indicating she had supported candidate Han even before the debate started. Regarding the relationship between candidate Han and the president, she said, "When doing the same work, family quarrels can happen," adding, "Each side knows their position well."
Daegu public sentiment is for Won Hee-ryong... Cannot acknowledge Han Dong-hoon's popularity
Bae Woo-ho (75, male), a responsible party member living in Daegu, entered the rally venue EXCO holding cheering goods for candidate Won Hee-ryong. Bae, a native of Daegu, said he supports candidate Won. Bae said, "Candidate Won was even a governor, and I think he is the best among them," adding, "Older people unanimously say candidate Won is the best." When asked if candidate Han is the most popular in opinion polls, he said, "Candidate Han suddenly appeared one day. He is just disposable," emphasizing, "Candidate Han is liked by young people. Candidate Won was a governor and is smart. There is nothing to criticize."
Yoon Jung-rok (53, male), also from Daegu, spoke nonstop about why candidate Won should be chosen and why candidate Han is not suitable, even under the scorching heat without shade. Yoon said, "Our conservatives and the president are really struggling. After all, politics is about creating a president and a regime, isn't it?" adding, "The president cannot do anything because of the huge opposition party, but practically, candidate Won is the best to harmonize from the elderly to the young."
Yoon said, "Family quarrels should be coordinated so that they do not surface," adding, "But what is the essence of ignoring texts? Candidate Han ignored texts from the president's wife, who is at the core of power, so how many texts from innocent people must he have ignored?" He added, "Did Kim Geon-hee ask about the necessity of (apology) to get votes in the election? Then, naturally, it is right to approach it from a politician's perspective, not a prosecutor's."
Regarding candidate Han's leading position in various opinion polls, he said, "Honestly, I don't understand. Because there is a strong public opinion that we support President Yoon Seok-youl and the responsibility lies with President Yoon."
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