"People Before Election": Jung Cheongrae and Park Chandae Head to Flood Recovery Sites

Election Campaign Suspended Immediately After Joint Speech Event
Participation in Flood Recovery Efforts in Gwangju and Jeollanam-do
Democratic Party Moves to Integrate Primary Schedule Due to Flood Damage

Jung Cheongrae (left) and Park Chandae, candidates running for the leadership of the Democratic Party, are greeting together with clenched fists at a joint speech event held at the party headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul on the 19th. Photo by Yonhap News

On July 21, Democratic Party leadership contenders Jung Cheongrae and Park Chandae visited flood recovery sites in Gwangju and Jeollanam-do. Although this was a visit to Honam, where the party's largest group of voting members is concentrated, they prioritized participating in recovery efforts over election campaigning.

After the joint speech event in Yeongnam the previous day, candidate Jung told reporters, "The Democratic Party is sending about 150 people, including members of the National Assembly, to flood recovery sites. I will also join them."

At the same event, candidate Park stated, "This is not the time to turn our backs on the people because of the election. We must go to the field, to the people," and proposed a temporary suspension of the party convention. He later posted on social media, "Let us now stop all election campaigning and stand by the people."

Jeong Chungrae, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, is participating in flood damage restoration work by visiting flooded farms in Bongsan-myeon, Damyang-gun, Jeollanam-do on the 21st. Photo by Jeong Chungrae

On this day, candidate Jung visited a flood-damaged farm in Sanji-ri, Bongsan-myeon, Damyang-gun, Jeollanam-do. He later wrote on Facebook, "It feels as if the sky is falling when even a single pepper stalk breaks, so how devastated must the owner feel when an entire strawberry field is ruined and has to be cleared out?" He added, "Even if the government declares a special disaster area and provides some compensation, my heart breaks when I think of the pain and distress of the farmers." He also wrote, "Crops grow listening to the footsteps of their owners. To farmers, crops are like their own children."

On the same day, candidate Park visited flood sites and the disaster situation room in Seo-gu and Buk-gu, Gwangju. Through Facebook, he stated, "Now, after the monstrous torrential rain, a heatwave is hitting the affected areas," and emphasized, "We must begin responding immediately to heat-related illnesses and infectious diseases." Referring to the manhole accident in Sotae-dong, Buk-gu, he said, "Choi Seungil, who runs an auto repair shop, and his employees jumped into the water without hesitation." He added, "In the end, it is people standing by other people who save lives. I will also stand by their side until the end."

Democratic Party candidate Park Chandae visited a furniture department store in Seo-gu, Gwangju, a flood damage site, on the 21st and participated in restoration work. Photo by Yonhap News

To focus on flood recovery efforts, the Democratic Party has decided to combine the leadership primary voting for party members in the Honam region, originally scheduled for July 26, and in the Gyeonggi and Incheon regions, originally scheduled for July 27, into a single vote to be held on August 2.