Lee Targets Centrist Voters... TK Visit and Recruitment of Conservative Figures

Kim Kwan-young and Chae Yi-bae Join Party "A Great Boost... Opening the First Gateway to Grand Unity"
3 Nights 4 Days Meta Bus Schedule Includes Visits to Universities Founded by Park Chung-hee and Others Planned

[Asia Economy Reporters Oh Ju-yeon and Jeon Jin-young] Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea, is expanding his outreach on all fronts. The recruitment of former Bareunmirae Party lawmakers Kim Kwan-young and Chae Yi-bae on the 10th is part of this centrist expansion. Starting from this day, the destination of the Maetabus (Weekly Riding Bus) for the next 3 nights and 4 days has been set to Daegu and Gyeongbuk (TK), also aiming to evoke 'Park Chung-hee nostalgia.'

Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate, attended the admission ceremony of former Bareunmirae Party members Kim Kwan-young (right) and Chae Yi-bae at the central party office in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 10th, posing together with the two former lawmakers. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

On the same day, Lee attended the admission ceremony of former lawmakers Kim Kwan-young and Chae Yi-bae held at the Democratic Party central office in the morning, emphasizing, "The reform and progressive camps must unite as one body," and added, "I feel like I have ten thousand troops. The first gateway to grand unity has opened."

Both Kim and Chae are recognized policy experts with practical skills and are evaluated as figures who can expand the Democratic Party's centrist base by advocating reasonable centrist reform policies. Kim was elected as a member of the National Assembly from Gunsan, Jeonbuk, under the Democratic Party in the 19th general election, and in the 20th general election, he was elected as a member of the National Assembly under the People's Party. He later served as floor leader of the Bareunmirae Party. Chae, who gained attention as a 'chaebol sniper' in the 20th National Assembly, entered the National Assembly as a proportional representative of the People's Party and served as the policy committee chairman of the Bareunmirae Party.

In the afternoon, Lee will embark on the fifth Maetabus schedule. Until the 13th, he will tour the TK region, considered a difficult area for the Democratic Party, to capture grassroots public opinion. The itinerary covers Gyeongju, Daegu, Chilgok, Gumi, Uiseong, Andong, Bonghwa, Yeongju, Yecheon, Mungyeong, Sangju, Gimcheon, Yeongcheon, and Pohang. Compared to previous Maetabus schedules, which lasted 2 nights and 3 days, this one is a day longer. Lee plans to include camping meetings where he will receive harsh criticism from the youth in this region, who are not favorable to the Democratic Party, employing a strategy to embrace conservative voters and increase his support base.

He is also expected to emphasize recognizing the achievements of the TK region, which led Korea's industrialization and participated in movements such as the February 28 Democracy Movement and the National Debt Repayment Movement, and to ask to become a symbol of unity. In particular, on the 11th, he will visit Kumoh National Institute of Technology in Gumi, founded by the late President Park Chung-hee, and on the 12th, he will include a schedule to commemorate Park's achievements at the Gyeongbu Expressway Memorial Tower. This is intended to stimulate 'Park Chung-hee nostalgia' within TK while promoting the image of an 'economic president who will achieve growth.'

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