'Primary Election Vote' D-1... Ruling Party Presidential Candidates Target Chungcheong Region

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeon Jin-young] On the 30th, one day before the first vote of the Democratic Party's regional primary, the candidates made a last-minute effort to capture votes in Chungcheong, the first primary region. Chungcheong, which is called a barometer of public sentiment due to its lack of distinct regional political colors, is expected to be a turning point that will determine the success or failure of the candidates.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung and former Democratic Party leader Lee Nak-yeon appealed for support while touring Chungcheong over the weekend. Governor Lee Jae-myung aimed to solidify his position as the 'number one' by securing a majority in Chungcheong. The day before, he held a press conference in Cheongju, Chungcheongbuk-do, where he announced seven major pledges for the Chungcheong region. These included completing the administrative capital in Sejong City and actively supporting the Chungcheong mega-city, tailored to the region's needs.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Former Democratic Party leader Lee Nak-yeon is intensifying his pursuit of Governor Lee. Starting his Chungcheong tour on the 27th, Lee Nak-yeon visited Chungnam Governor Yang Seung-jo in the afternoon and held a press conference at the Chungnam Provincial Office. The day before, Yoon Young-chan, the political affairs director of Lee Nak-yeon's campaign, said at a regular briefing, "We have put great effort into targeting Chungcheong for about two weeks, and there have been many changes in public opinion," adding, "I think there is a high possibility that (Governor Lee and former leader Lee) will compete within the margin of error."

Former Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun entered self-quarantine after contact with a COVID-19 confirmed case but continued courting the central region's public sentiment through social media. He has been focusing on Chungcheong by announcing a new metropolitan area plan that includes relocating the Blue House and the National Assembly to Chungcheong. During his self-quarantine, he held an online meeting with party members in Chungnam, and the day before, he appealed to Chungcheong voters on Facebook, saying, "My body is at home, but my heart is running toward Chungcheong."

Former Minister of Justice Chu Mi-ae also held a series of meetings on the afternoon of the same day, including a party member meeting in Daejeon Seoul district and another in Daejeon Jung-gu, followed by a non-face-to-face rally with supporters from Chungcheong, Daejeon, and Sejong. Congressman Kim Doo-kwan is also scheduled to announce the Chungcheong region's national administrative capital plan online in the afternoon. The Democratic Party will start the regional primaries with voting in Daejeon and Chungnam on the 31st. The results will be announced on the 4th of next month for Daejeon and Chungnam, and on the 5th for Sejong and Chungbuk.

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