[On Site in] Lee Jae-myung at 'Home Ground' "Please Elect Me as President for Good Performance and Quality" Supporters "Let's Smash the Unification"

Encouraging Early Voting with a Crisis Overcoming Message
Responding to Opposition Unity with 'National Sovereignty Theory'
Campaigning in Namyangju and Gangdong Following Hongcheon and Chuncheon in Gangwon

[Namyangju·Gangdong = Reporter Koo Chae-eun] At 4:19 p.m. on the first day of early voting, in front of Pyeongnae-Hopyeong Station plaza on the Gyeongchun Line, hundreds of people waiting for Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea, were densely gathered along Gyeongchun-ro. They waved their arms in rhythm with the campaign song "Run Strongly, Candidate No. 1 Lee Jae-myung." Citizens waving blue cheering sticks and balloons were also seen singing along. About ten people were preparing to shoot with selfie sticks.

The campaign site in Namyangju that day was more heated compared to earlier locations on the same day (Kkotmoe Park in Hongcheon, Gangwon Province, and Brown 5th Street in Chuncheon). Candidate Lee toured Gangwon's Yeongseo region, Gyeonggi Province, and Seoul's Gwangjin and Gangdong districts in sequence, moving gradually westward from Gangwon to Seoul. Among these, Namyangju in Gyeonggi Province, where Lee has built his political capital, saw more frequent cheers and slogans from enthusiastic supporters than other regions.

At 4:22 p.m., when Candidate Lee stepped onto the stage, the sound of vuvuzelas and cheers erupted from all around. Lee circled the 'ㅜ'-shaped stage, raising his hand high and shouting "banzai." When he clenched his fist and raised only his thumb, citizens chanted "Candidate No. 1, Lee Jae-myung." When Lee bent his arms to form a 'heart' sign, applause poured out. Lee then bent his thumb, extended his index finger again, and repeatedly folded and unfolded both arms, prompting supporters to shout "Candidate No. 1 Lee Jae-myung again."

In Namyangju, voices such as "That's right!", "Exactly," "Well done," and "Lee Jae-myung can do it! He can do it!" burst out intermittently during the candidate's speech. Many citizens clapped and cheered. They turned on smartphone lighters and shook them side to side to the music, shouting "Cheer up!" to the candidate.

Candidate Lee highlighted his differentiation from Yoon Seok-youl, the People Power Party candidate, focusing on competence. He said, "If the country's leader is incompetent, ignorant, and irresponsible, the nation's fate is doomed," adding, "Ignorance and incompetence of a leader are not something to be proud of but a sin." He pointed out, "Have you not seen Brazil? The democratic system was firmly maintained, and it grew into the world's eighth-largest economy, but corrupt prosecutors and judiciary falsely accused the system, causing its collapse and eventually leading to an economic crisis."

He also emphasized his competence by showcasing his achievements as governor. During the campaign, he listed accomplishments such as valley maintenance and youth dividend policies, saying, "Gyeonggi Province did well with a relatively small budget, but if given the national budget of 600 trillion won, I would do even better," and asked, "After trying me, wasn't the quality and performance good?"

He also focused on blocking the effect of opposition candidate unification. Lee said, "It doesn't matter what situation changes or how the candidates end up," adding, "Although it seems politicians are doing politics, ultimately it is the sovereign people who decide." An enthusiastic supporter responded loudly, "Let's crush the Ahn Cheol-soo unification!"

In the middle of the crowd at the Gyeonggi Province campaign, a sign with red letters on a white background reading "Overthrow Prosecutorial Dictatorship (No Military Rule) End Blackmail" stood out. One supporter waved a blue cloth with handwritten words saying "A president strong in crisis, a president who protects people's livelihood, a prepared president." Messages encouraging voting were also seen. Many placards and banners read, "Let's vote for our children," "Let's vote for a better world," and "We couldn't do the independence movement, but let's vote."

At around 7:40 p.m. that day, Candidate Lee moved to the last campaign site of the first day of early voting in Gangdong District, Seoul, where he appealed to the "real estate public sentiment."

He said, "I am a market-oriented person. In the vast global free democratic market economy order, the state cannot go against the market flow," emphasizing, "I will respect market order. I will protect actual demanders and firmly curb real estate speculation. About 3.11 million housing units will be supplied quickly as needed."

He added, "Regulations on reconstruction and redevelopment must also be eased. Why keep everything so tightly bound? People want to live in spacious, clean, and comfortable homes?why regulate that?" He said, "Even toads want new homes. How much more would people want? I will ease floor area ratio safety inspection standards and take full responsibility for swift redevelopment and reconstruction."

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