Cho Kuk's 'Monthly Rent Living' and Lee Jae-myung's 'On-site Visit'
Escalation of By-election as Both Party Leaders Join
Tensions... "Spoiled Water" "Regrettable and Frustrating"
Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, visited Yeonggwang-gun, Jeollanam-do, where the by-elections will be held on October 16, to hold a Supreme Council meeting and conduct on-site visits as part of his support campaign. The party leadership, including the floor leader and Supreme Council members, all joined the election campaign. The two areas in Jeollanam-do holding by-elections are witnessing intensified competition for the support of the Honam public between the 'friendly' party, Joguk Innovation Party, and the Democratic Party.
Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea (right), and Cho Kuk, leader of the Cho Kuk Innovation Party, are greeting Chuseok travelers at Yongsan Station in Seoul on the 13th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@
On the morning of the 23rd, the Democratic Party held an on-site Supreme Council meeting at the election office of Jang Se-il, the candidate for Yeonggwang-gun, Jeollanam-do. At this location, Lee expressed condolences to the victims of heavy rain damage in the Jeonnam region. He then mentioned the policy agreements to be made with the candidates for Yeonggwang and Gokseong counties in Jeonnam. He emphasized 'rural basic income' and 'sunlight and wind pensions' as solutions to population extinction and the climate crisis. He pledged to realize the 'Lee Jae-myung' policy brands of basic income and renewable energy in Yeonggwang-gun and Gokseong-gun.
Supreme Council member Han Jun-ho and lawmakers Park Ji-won and Jeong Cheong-rae are preparing residences in the Honam region until the election to fully focus on winning public support. To consolidate organizational strength, Kang Wi-won, a native of Yeonggwang-gun and standing representative of the Democratic Party’s National Innovation Council, was appointed as the head of the Honam election support team. This move is also aimed at countering Joguk, leader of the Joguk Innovation Party, who recently started 'monthly rent living.' The Joguk Innovation Party held a meeting on the 19th at the election office of candidate Jang Hyun. Jang Hyun, who switched his party affiliation from the Democratic Party to the Joguk Innovation Party to run, was strongly criticized by the Democratic Party’s Jeonnam provincial party.
The tension between the Democratic Party and the Joguk Innovation Party is escalating. Supreme Council member Kim Min-seok criticized the Joguk Innovation Party for missing the plenary vote during his visit to Yeonggwang-gun, saying, "If you have lost the sense to distinguish what is important, you have already become stagnant water that has begun to spoil." Former Supreme Council member Jeong Cheong-rae said on the YouTube program 'Kim Eo-jun’s Humility is Difficult News Factory' that day, "We must focus as a unified Democratic Party," adding, "The Joguk Innovation Party should not interfere."
Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea (right), is visiting Cho Kuk, leader of the Cho Kuk Innovation Party, at the National Assembly on the 21st of last month. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@
Kim Bo-hyeop, chief spokesperson of the Joguk Innovation Party, responded, "I won’t specifically mention how many Democratic Party members missed the last plenary session," and countered, "What they really want to say is, 'Why is the Joguk Innovation Party loitering on Democratic Party territory?'" Kim Seon-min, a lawmaker of the Joguk Innovation Party, expressed regret toward Supreme Council member Kim Min-seok, saying, "It is very disappointing and upsetting," and stated, "The Joguk Innovation Party is a friendly party to the Democratic Party, but we have no intention of becoming a ‘five-minute standby squad’ for the Democratic Party."
On the following day, the 24th, the Democratic Party will assist candidate Jo Sang-rae’s campaign in Gokseong-gun, Jeollanam-do. On the 25th, a meeting is scheduled to be held at the election office of candidate Kim Kyung-ji in Geumjeong-gu, Busan. The schedule for Ganghwa-gun, Incheon, which was planned for the 21st, was postponed due to heavy rain.
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