Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party of Korea presidential candidate, has begun his campaign to secure votes in the Daegu and Gyeongbuk (TK) region, which is considered a significant electoral challenge for the party. He urged residents in the Yeongnam region, where support is weak, not to be fooled by fake news and to pick 'faithful workers.'

Democratic Party of Korea candidate Lee Jae-myung is speaking in front of market merchants and supporters at Yeongcheon Public Market in Yeongcheon City, Gyeongbuk, on the 9th during his third alley listening tour./Courtesy of Yonhap News

On the morning of the 9th, the candidate kicked off the 3rd schedule of his 'listening tour' at a side dish store in Gyeongju, Gyeongbuk. The listening tour is a campaign where the candidate meets with local residents and small business owners to hear their opinions before the official election campaign starts. The 3rd listening tour will proceed through Gyeongju, Yeongcheon, Chilgok, Gimcheon, Seongju, and Goryeong on that day and continue to Changnyeong, Ham-an, Uiryeong, Jinju, Sacheon, and Hadong in Gyeongsangnam-do on the 10th.

The candidate appeared around 10 a.m. wearing a white shirt, a beige vest, and dress shoes. Under the vest, he wore a bulletproof vest weighing about 3 kg. Supporters shouted 'Lee Jae-myung!' as the candidate got out of the car, and he waved his hand in response.

The candidate visited a side dish store and a stationery store in Gyeongju, signing autographs and making a 'heart' gesture over his head. At the stationery store, he received a letter from the owner with a message saying, 'Please do your best for a real Republic of Korea. I sincerely support you.'

The candidate stated, 'Isn't it ultimately the people who create the diligent workers that can be trusted? The ballot is stronger than a bullet.' He added, 'I heard rumors that the preparations for the Gyeongju APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) summit are lacking. I have asked the National Assembly to take care of it as well.'

Democratic Party of Korea candidate Lee Jae-myung is receiving a card with a supportive message from a store merchant at a stationery store in Gyeongju, Gyeongbuk, on the 9th during his third alley listening tour./Courtesy of Yonhap News

In Yeongcheon, Gyeongbuk Province, the candidate visited the Yeongcheon market and met with market merchants. He was seen making efforts to win over local residents' votes, such as buying chili snacks and meeting with the merchants' association president. However, some Yeongcheon citizens passing by expressed somewhat negative reactions, saying things like, 'What if the road is blocked?' and 'It's noisy.'

'Sometimes we get the misconception that we are choosing a king or ruler,' the candidate said. 'We must choose diligent and capable workers who will use the granted power and taxes for us and for a better life.'

He continued, 'Don't fall for the misinformation created by fake news that teaches you nonsense. You need to research your choices. You must carefully select the tool that will determine your destiny. You need to choose wisely whether it's a stick or a hoe.'