Regime Judgment Led by Hwang "Judgment on Moon Jae-in," Lee Proposes Shinbundang Line Pledge for "Problem Solving"

Hwang Kyo-ahn's First Weekend After Announcing Candidacy in Jongno... Similar Yet Different Moves

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Wondara] The big match in Jongno between former Prime Minister Lee Nak-yeon and Hwang Kyo-ahn, leader of the Liberty Korea Party, is heating up. On the first weekend after Hwang’s declaration of candidacy, both candidates visited Jongno side by side, but the messages they delivered to the residents of Jongno were analyzed to be completely different.

Former Prime Minister Lee announced his first general election pledges targeting Jongno since declaring his candidacy. After touring the Sajik 2 redevelopment area on the 9th, Lee presented the 'Four Major Pledges for Jongno': ▲promotion of the Shinbundang Line extension ▲relaunch of urban regeneration projects ▲seeking environmental changes for youth ▲development as a historical and cultural city. On the same day, Lee met with reporters at a cafe in Jongno-gu and emphasized, "I am quite different from past prime ministers," adding, "I have diverse experience leading problem-solving efforts on the ground."

On the other hand, Hwang held a briefing in front of the rental shops on Jongno’s 'Youth Street,' criticizing the current government’s economic failures. Hwang said, "When I was at the Prime Minister’s official residence, there were almost no vacancies," and added, "I can only think this is due to the economic mismanagement of this government. The most important thing is to make efforts to revive the local economy here, and isn’t this election about judging the Moon Jae-in administration?"

In summary, Lee emphasized local pledges, while Hwang focused on judging the Moon Jae-in administration. Lee stated, "I want to make the April 15 general election a starting point for a new future for Jongno and South Korea," and added, "I hope to have discussions with other candidates for that purpose." From his declaration on the 7th, Hwang stressed the 'judgment of the Moon Jae-in administration,' saying, "The opponent I want to defeat in this Jongno election is the Moon Jae-in administration." Regarding this, Lee refrained from commenting, saying, "It is not appropriate to comment on other candidates’ elections."

The Democratic Party and the Liberty Korea Party are engaged in a tense power struggle over the two candidates. On the 9th, Democratic Party spokesperson Lee Hae-sik pointed out in a briefing, "Hwang has not even registered as a preliminary candidate with the Election Commission yet," and added, "There is a high possibility of violating election laws." He also emphasized, "We must closely watch the process of handling Hwang’s Seocho-gu residence, which is 1.5 times, or 1.5 billion won, more expensive than the house Lee owned." In response, Liberty Korea Party spokesperson Kim Sung-won issued a statement rebutting, "Lee also registered as a preliminary candidate only on the 3rd of this month after declaring his candidacy on the 23rd of last month," and added, "Lee even visited the traditional market in Jongno-gu on the 24th of last month, well before registering as a preliminary candidate." He also criticized, "Lee caused a farce by even mistaking the direction of the subway turnstile card reader."

Meanwhile, the two candidates are expected to continue their Jongno activities on the 10th. Former Prime Minister Lee plans to visit the Jongno Multicultural Family Support Center and Gwangjang Market in succession to meet residents. On the same day, Hwang will meet Kim Young-geun, head of Sungkyunkwan, and then hold a meeting with Liberty Korea Party members at a Chinese restaurant located in Jongno-gu.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.