Diverging Leadership Paths: Ruling Party Goes All-Out, Opposition Opts for Independent Campaigns

Democratic Party Leadership Holds Supreme Council Meetings Nationwide
People Power Party Adopts Independent Campaign System for Each Candidate

With about 40 days remaining until the 9th nationwide local elections scheduled for June 3, the movements of the leadership of both major parties are diverging. The Democratic Party is mobilizing its leadership to visit every corner of the country to provide comprehensive support for its candidates, while the People Power Party appears to be distancing its leadership, led by Jang Donghyuk, from the campaign, instead moving toward an independent election system for each candidate.

Jeong Cheong-rae, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, attended the onsite Supreme Council meeting held on the 20th at the Boryeong Mud Theme Park in Chungnam. He put the party jumper on Park Suhyun, the candidate for governor of Chungnam Province, and took a commemorative photo. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

On the 20th, the Democratic Party is holding an on-site Supreme Council meeting in Boryeong, Chungnam, which is Jang's constituency, to focus on supporting people's livelihoods and the election campaign. Kang Junhyun, chief spokesperson of the Democratic Party, stated, "This week, including today in Boryeong, we will be visiting local areas for six days, including Tongyeong Yokji Island, Incheon, Jeonnam, Jeonbuk, and Daegu."

The Democratic Party leadership, including leader Jeong Cheong-rae, has been traveling across the country in the run-up to the local elections, taking an aggressive approach. Just this month, they have visited areas such as Cheorwon, Gangneung, and Sokcho in Gangwon Province; Jeju; Asan in Chungnam; Gwangju; Suwon in Gyeonggi Province; Daegu; Damyang in Jeonnam; and Busan, focusing on appealing to regional voters.

In contrast, the People Power Party is seeing a growing trend of establishing individual election committees for each candidate, signaling a move toward independent campaigns. In addition to the party's falling approval ratings and the fact that nominations for major metropolitan mayors have not yet been finalized, there has been criticism of the leadership's prolonged absence. At the Supreme Council meeting on the 6th, internal conflicts became visible, with public clashes over the declining approval ratings.

Jang Donghyuk, the leader of the People Power Party, is returning to Korea through Terminal 2 of Incheon International Airport in the early morning of the 20th after completing his schedule in the United States. Photo by Yonhap News

Oh Sehoon, the incumbent mayor who has been confirmed as the Seoul mayoral candidate, has already begun preparations for a separate campaign committee at the Seoul city level. At a press conference on the 19th, Oh said, "I hope that if we form the campaign committee with young and reform-minded people both inside and outside the party, we will be able to create a campaign team that can achieve centrist outreach and innovation." Park Hyungjoon, the mayor of Busan, also said on SBS Radio on the 16th, "Rather than having the central campaign committee lead the election, it is necessary to form campaign committees by region and area so that we can run the election together with that strength."

Meanwhile, Jang Donghyuk, leader of the People Power Party, who has returned to party work, will resume his regional schedule starting with a visit to Gangwon Province on the 22nd. This marks his second on-site activity aimed at the local elections, following the Supreme Council meeting held in Incheon on the 6th.

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