Presidential Election Without Community Gardens... Lee Defends Honam vs Yoon Attempts to Take Over

Ruling Party Leadership Fully Mobilizes in Gwangju and Jeonnam
Opposition Launches Full-Scale Offensive Citing Honam Neglect Theory
Clashes Also Erupt in TK and PK Regions

[Asia Economy Reporters Naju-seok and Oh Ju-yeon] With less than two weeks remaining until the presidential election, the leadership of both ruling and opposition parties is intensifying efforts to expand their influence by targeting each other's strongholds. The Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) has mobilized candidates who competed against Lee Jae-myung, the DPK presidential candidate, during the primary to fully defend their home turf in Gwangju and Jeonnam, while the People Power Party (PPP) has continued a two-day battle by emphasizing the narrative of neglect toward Honam.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 25th, the DPK campaign leadership deployed to Honam and Yeongnam regions. Lee Nak-yeon, the DPK’s general election campaign committee chairman, visited Muan, Mokpo, and Jindo in Jeonnam; Jeong Se-gyun, the senior advisor, went to Wanju, Iksan, and Gunsan in Jeonbuk; and Choo Mi-ae, honorary campaign committee chairwoman, headed to Gwangju to defend the party’s core support base. Party leader Song Young-gil toured Kimcheon, Sangju, Yeongju, Andong, and Yeongdeok in Gyeongbuk, targeting the conservative party’s strongholds.

The DPK, judging that support for Yoon Seok-youl, the PPP presidential candidate, is weakening following the breakdown of the unification talks with Ahn Cheol-soo, the People’s Party presidential candidate, is pouring full effort into consolidating its support base. Their strategy is to firmly defend the Honam electoral base, which is the DPK’s stronghold, and to secure 40% of votes in TK (Daegu-Gyeongbuk) and 50% in PK (Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam) to recreate the government.

The PPP, which has set a 30% vote share target in Honam, also rekindled its determination to plant its flag in enemy territory on the same day. Kim Ki-hyun, the PPP floor leader, began his campaign schedule with a morning greeting in Suncheon, Jeonnam. In a phone interview, Kim said, "We can now feel the change in Honam public sentiment," adding, "We have been the first to open our hearts, open the money bags, and make efforts to appoint capable figures, but we will accelerate these efforts even more." Kim planned to continue his appeal for support by moving to Mokpo in the afternoon.

PPP leader Lee Jun-seok held a greeting and campaign event the previous day at Chungjang-ro in Gwangju. At the event, Lee urged voters to "sound the alarm to the DPK, which mistakenly believes it monopolizes Honam’s votes after this election," reiterating his pledge to attract a ‘complex shopping mall.’ He said, "If Gwangju’s politics do not provide benefits to the 2030 generation, they have the right to change it," tapping into the sentiment of neglect felt in Honam.

As the PPP puts special effort into Honam in this presidential election, attention is focused on whether the political landscape, traditionally dominated by the DPK in Honam, will change.

A PPP official explained, "Our party’s goal of regime change hopes that the spark will start in Honam rather than Yeongnam." Lee Yong-ho, the only PPP lawmaker representing a Honam district (Namwon, Imsil, Sunchang in Jeonbuk), said in a phone interview that "the atmosphere in Honam has already changed a lot," adding, "There was no alternative to the DPK in Honam until now, but the situation has changed." He mentioned, "We now expect people elected under the PPP name to emerge in Honam as well."

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