Handonghun and Lee Jaemyung Greet Returning Home for Chuseok... Ruling Party: "Everyone's Strength" Opposition: "Restoring Livelihoods"

Han Representative, All-Out Effort for Ruling and Opposition Parties and Government Consultative Body During Holiday
Lee Representative Continues Outreach Efforts Visiting Constituency and Expanding Base

The leadership of both ruling and opposition parties greeted holiday travelers at Seoul Station and Yongsan Station ahead of the Chuseok holiday. They targeted their respective 'stronghold' public sentiments at Seoul Station, where many trains bound for Yeongnam depart, and Yongsan Station, where many trains bound for Honam depart.

The People Power Party (PPP) leadership visited Seoul Station on the morning of the 13th to extend holiday greetings to citizens embarking on their journey home. Seoul Station is located on the Gyeongbu Line, which heads to Daegu, Busan, and other areas with strong conservative support bases. Representative Han Dong-hoon had also visited Seoul Station during the Lunar New Year holiday in the 22nd general election period when he was the emergency committee chairman to offer holiday greetings.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Representative Han and PPP floor leader Choo Kyung-ho, along with other leaders, wore sashes that read "Everyone's Strength, Everyone's Chuseok" and handed out letters written in Han’s own handwriting to citizens. Afterwards, except for floor leader Choo, the leadership carried out lunchbox volunteer activities at the Sangnok District Comprehensive Child Welfare Town in Gwanak-gu, Seoul, under the name "Warm Affection Shared with Future Generations." Considering the difficulty of providing school meals during the holiday period, Representative Han prepared lunchboxes using 50 million won from the gift expenses of key party and external figures.

Representative Han is reported to have no public schedule during the holiday and will focus all efforts on persuading the medical community to launch the ruling-opposition-government consultation body. A PPP leadership official said in a phone interview, "Representative Han is strongly committed to the success of the ruling-opposition-government consultation body and may engage in behind-the-scenes talks with medical organizations," adding, "He is sincerely working hard and is sending a message asking for some cooperation." Representative Han requested participation in the consultation body from Im Hyun-taek, president of the Korean Medical Association, over two days starting the previous day, but has faced difficulties as the response was that a decision on participation has not yet been made.

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is greeting citizens returning home for Chuseok at Yongsan Station in Seoul on the 13th. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

The Democratic Party greeted travelers in the waiting room of Yongsan Station on the same morning. Representative Lee Jae-myung and floor leader Park Chan-dae wore sashes that read "National Health, Livelihood Recovery" and appeared before citizens. They even went down to the platform to personally greet passengers boarding the KTX bound for Gwangju Songjeong departing in the morning. After the train carrying passengers left, Representative Lee waved his hand through the window.

On the first day of the Chuseok holiday, the following day (the 14th), Representative Lee will visit his constituency in Gyeyang-gu, Incheon. He is also expected to continue schedules aimed at "expanding outreach." Having had a dinner meeting lasting over two hours the previous day with Kim Jong-in, former emergency committee chairman of the People Power Party and a "reform conservative," he stated that he will continue meetings with political, religious, and civil society figures. Floor leader Park will also be traveling to and from his constituency in Yeonsu-gu, Incheon during the holiday. The Democratic Party is showing signs of preparing seriously for the presidential race by gauging grassroots public sentiment and seeking advice from various figures.

Meanwhile, the National Innovation Party is making every effort to prepare for the by-elections scheduled in October in Jeonnam and Busan. Representative Jo Guk visited Yongsan Station to greet travelers in the morning and then headed straight to Gokseong County, Jeonnam. He visited the office of Park Woong-du, the National Innovation Party candidate for Gokseong County mayor, that day. During the five-night, six-day Chuseok holiday, Representative Jo plans to travel between Yeonggwang County and Gokseong County in Jeonnam and Geumjeong District in Busan. He has rented monthly houses in all three locations.