"Rapidly Catching Up After the Final TV Debate"
"Unification with Lee Junseok?... Will Continue Efforts Until the End"
Kim Moonsoo, the People Power Party presidential candidate, cast his early vote on the 29th in Gyeyang-gu, Incheon, which is the constituency of Lee Jaemyung, the Democratic Party candidate. With the unification talks with Lee Junseok, the Reform Party candidate, having failed, Kim plans to lay the groundwork for a dramatic comeback starting in Incheon. While Kim has not abandoned the possibility of a last-minute unification before the main vote, he is also expected to pursue a self-reliant strategy aimed at victory within a three-way race.
People Power Party presidential candidate Kim Moonsoo is casting his vote together with his daughter Kim Dongjoo at the early voting station set up at the Gyeyang 1-dong Community Center in Gyeyang-gu, Incheon, on the first day of early voting for the 21st presidential election on the 29th. Photo by Yonhap News
On the first day of early voting, Kim arrived at the Gyeyang 1-dong Administrative Welfare Center polling station in Incheon with his daughter Dongjoo at around 10:30 a.m. About 100 supporters had gathered in front of the polling station an hour before Kim's arrival. As Kim stepped out of his vehicle, the crowd chanted "Kim Moonsoo" and "President." At the scene were former Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Won Heeryong, who ran against Lee Jaemyung in this district in last year's general election, and former People Power Party Emergency Committee Chairman Hwang Wooyeoh.
Kim's decision to cast his early vote in Incheon, Lee Jaemyung's constituency, was intended to signal his determination to stage a turnaround starting here, reminiscent of the Incheon Landing Operation during the Korean War, which reversed the tide of battle. It also reflects his aim to solidify the contest between himself and Lee Jaemyung and to draw as many votes as possible away from Lee Junseok, the Reform Party candidate.
After voting, Kim told reporters about trailing Lee Jaemyung in polls, "There are some polls where I am ahead," and added, "After the third and final TV debate, I have been catching up rapidly, so I believe I am sufficiently ahead." He emphasized, "Lee Jaemyung started three years ago, while I have been in the race for less than a month after many twists and turns. It is at this critical juncture that the final pursuit is taking place."
The previous night, Kim made an unannounced visit to the National Assembly Members' Office Building in Yeouido to hold last-minute unification talks with Lee Junseok, but the meeting did not take place. Kim waited for Lee Junseok and left the building only after midnight. He said, "I will continue efforts for unification until the main vote," but as Lee Junseok has clearly indicated his refusal, most observers believe unification will be difficult. Within the party, there are growing calls to focus more on the "Lee Junseok wasted vote" argument rather than unification.
Instead, the People Power Party is expected to expand the "anti-Lee Jaemyung" front, with former Prime Ministers Lee Nakyon and Han Ducksoo joining the effort. After declaring his support for Kim, Han Ducksoo cast his early vote in the morning, while Lee Nakyon, as Kim's final campaign speaker of the day, said, "To stop a monstrous dictatorship, we inevitably need Kim Moonsoo." A key official from the campaign said of the remaining election strategy, "From now on, we have no choice but to move forward with a do-or-die determination, without hesitation."
After voting, Kim plans to hold intensive campaign rallies in Yeonsu-gu, Bupyeong-gu, and Namdong-gu in Incheon. He will also visit Siheung, Ansan, Gunpo, and Anyang, which are near Bucheon, where he served three terms as a National Assembly member. In particular, Siheung is home to Turtle Island, which was cited as Lee Jaemyung's biggest failure during his tenure as Gyeonggi Province governor, and Kim is expected to highlight this to maximize anti-Lee Jaemyung sentiment.
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