'Breaking Out of the Box Range' Solutions Presented by Lee and Yoon... Intensifying Battle for the Central Region

- Lee, starting with former Chairman Kim Jong-in and former Representative Lee Nak-yeon... Yoon courts public sentiment in the ruling party's stronghold
- Lee Nak-yeon, ruling party's general election committee chairman, bows to the people at the first presiding meeting... emphasizes 'restraint in speech and behavior'

[Asia Economy Reporters Baek Kyunghwan and Lee Gimin] With former Democratic Party leader Lee Nak-yeon joining as the overall chairman of the party's election campaign committee, the ruling and opposition parties' presidential election strategies are expected to shift to a 'post-partisan' confrontation. Unlike the fierce factional battles anticipated in the early stages of the election, the similar pledges of the major party candidates and ongoing family-related risks have led to a close race within the margin of error, accelerating efforts to court the centrist swing voters. When the official campaign begins next week, the candidates' efforts to win over undecided voters are expected to intensify further.

On the 9th, at the party headquarters in Yeouido, Lee presided over his first campaign committee meeting and said, "I will continuously propose responsible policies that protect the lives of the people and build the future of the nation with the experience and capabilities I have gained so far," adding, "Through this, I will build trust with the people." He also bowed his head, saying, "There have been many instances where the Democratic Party has not met the people's expectations," and "I will understand what is lacking and wrong, and fill and correct it." This was interpreted as targeting the moderate swing voters.

The position of overall campaign committee chairman was newly created for Lee. It ranks higher than the standing campaign committee chairman held by party leader Song Young-gil and effectively oversees the entire campaign committee. Within the Democratic Party, Lee's joining is expected to bring significant changes in consolidating the core Ho-nam support base and the pro-Moon faction. A Democratic Party Ho-nam district lawmaker evaluated Lee's appointment as overall campaign committee chairman by saying, "It was a choice made in a situation where we need to absorb moderate centrist voters."

He also issued a restraint order regarding remarks that could lose public trust. This is understood to be aimed at the sharp remarks coming from within the campaign committee and the party amid recent negative exchanges surrounding candidate Lee. The chairman said, "Members of the Democratic Party should strive to help gain the trust of the people."

Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung is also focusing on courting swing voters by meeting with moderate conservative figures daily. Starting with former People Power Party overall campaign committee chairman Kim Jong-in, followed by former lawmaker Lee Sang-don, and most recently former Environment Minister Yoon Yeo-jun, these meetings are part of efforts to embrace the moderate conservative camp. With Lee Nak-yeon's joining, it has also become possible to manage the Ho-nam support base and the pro-Moon faction.

However, some voices express concern over candidate Lee's recent moves. It is judged that Lee Nak-yeon's decision stems more from the Democratic Party's crisis than from support for candidate Lee, and that this strategy was presented as there is no clever tactic to overturn the current disadvantage. A ruling party official commented, "Considering that major reform proposals such as banning four consecutive terms in the same district and the retirement of the 86 generation have had no impact on the election dynamics, the policy competitiveness that supposedly puts us ahead of candidate Yoon is also failing to shine."

People Power Party presidential candidate Yoon Seok-youl is in a similar situation. On the same day, Yoon visited Archbishop Jeong Soon-taek of the Catholic Archdiocese of Seoul. At the meeting, Yoon sought advice with the intention of "seeking great teachings of unity and hope." A party official explained that this was to listen to opinions for a unification approach.

Yoon has also recently accelerated his centrist approach. Over the past weekend, he visited the Jeju Naval Base, established by the decisive action of the Roh Moo-hyun administration, and said with teary eyes, "I engrave the anguish and determination of former President Roh in my heart."

He also visited the Gwangju 5.18 Democratic Cemetery for the second time since November last year. Although some bereaved family members affiliated with the May Mothers Association blocked him, preventing him from paying respects directly at the memorial tower, Yoon said, "The spirit of May is not just about resistance ending in itself no matter what happens. It symbolizes national unity centered on this value."

In political circles, it is expected that competition to court undecided voters will become fiercer once official election activities begin. In a recent poll conducted at the end of last month targeting 1,005 adults aged 18 and over nationwide, 23.1% of respondents said they could "change their current preferred candidate." Among those in their 20s and 30s, the rates of "possibly changing their preferred candidate" were 47.8% and 40.5%, respectively. Ultimately, this means that support rates are likely to fluctuate easily depending on the strategies each candidate pursues during the remaining period.

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