Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party of Korea presidential candidate, Kim Moon-soo, the People Power Party candidate, and Lee Jun-seok, the Reform Party presidential candidate, all visited the Busan and Gyeongnam region on the 14th. The three candidates serendipitously campaigned in the same area for the second consecutive day, following Daegu and Gyeongbuk the day before. Each candidate touted their regional promises, intensifying their 'differentiation' efforts.
◇ Lee targets Yoon with 'transfer'... “I will relocate the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and HMM”
On this day, the candidate promised the relocation of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and the shipping company HMM (formerly Hyundai Merchant Marine) during a campaign event in Seomyeon, Busan. He pointed out that the transfer of the Industrial Bank of Korea to Busan, a major policy task of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, had not been realized, proposing it as an alternative.
The candidate criticized, saying, “It would be good if the Industrial Bank were to transfer to Busan,” while adding, “If that were such an easy thing to do, what was Yoon doing for three years, just talking about it?”
He emphasized, “I have come up with an alternative” and stated, “I will make the largest shipping company in Korea, HMM, relocate to Busan.”
HMM is the largest container shipping company in Korea, headquartered in Seoul. While the Korea Development Bank is the largest shareholder, it is distinctly a private company. There are concerns that the candidate's promise to relocate to Busan may be problematic given the Korea Development Bank's push to sell its stake in HMM.
Seemingly aware of this, the candidate said, “Though HMM is a private company, if the government invests, it may not be impossible,” and added, “The employees also agreed.” He then called the head of the HMM union to the stage and made a 'policy promise.'
Considering that the PK region, like the TK, is known for strong conservative support, it is viewed as a challenging area for the candidate. Therefore, it can be interpreted that he is highlighting the failures of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration while presenting promises for regional development, especially in Seomyeon, where there are many young voters.
The candidate then moved to Gyeongnam, where he discussed the development of Busan as a 'hub of the Arctic route' with Emeritus Professor Kim Tae-yoo from Seoul National University.
He emphasized, “We need to prepare in advance, invest, support, and train talent,” adding, “We must establish infrastructure to utilize it over the next 5 or 10 years.”
At the campaign held at Sangnam Fountain Square in Changwon, Gyeongnam, he warned against 'optimism' and stressed urgency. The candidate declared, “Do not ever say that the Democratic Party will win a lot; we must win, and we cannot lose to the insurgent candidate of the insurgent forces.”
◇ Kim leads with 'market president' image, focusing on reviving the economy
The candidate met with market merchants in Jinju Central Market on the morning after visiting Bupyeong Jagalchi Market the previous day. He concentrated on reviving people's livelihoods and job creation, sharply targeting voters.
While campaigning at Gwangmi Intersection, he proclaimed, “I will be a market president who revives the market, boosts commerce, and enables citizens to live happily.”
He also claimed to be a 'science president.' Particularly mentioning former President Park Chung-hee, he stressed conservative identity, stating, “He found the best experts in nuclear energy in the world, whether in the U.S. or elsewhere, to ensure the achievement of today's POSCO steel, automobiles, shipbuilding, and K-defense industries.”
He appealed, “We should create a Korea, Jinju, and Gyeongnam where we value the importance of science and technology and cultivate top-tier experts, making it a favorable place for both scientific endeavors and child education.”
PK has been a notable battleground for both parties in every election, making its dynamics different from the TK. The candidate appeared to be actively appealing, feeling a sense of crisis that if he could not secure a definitive advantage in the PK region, the road to the presidency could light up a red flag.
The candidate subsequently moved to the Aerospace Agency in Sacheon without rest, inspecting the research and development site for science and technology. He also announced his pledge to leap as a 'top 5 global science and technology power' related to the aerospace industry.
He outlined a roadmap to launch three additional space launch vehicles and develop launch vehicle engines by 2027, with plans for lunar exploration in 2032 and Mars exploration in 2045, aiming to elevate Korea to a global space power.
He promised to designate Gyeongnam as a specialized region for satellites, leveraging the excellent manufacturing capabilities of Korea Aerospace Industries and Hanwha Aerospace to consolidate satellite manufacturing and development infrastructure. He also announced plans to build Sacheon as a complex city for aerospace.
Additionally, the candidate moved to Changwon to visit an industrial complex. He met with Doosan Enerbility, which is participating in the new nuclear power project in Dukovany, Czech Republic, alongside Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, to hear about the current status and challenges in the energy industry, including nuclear power.
◇ Lee Jun-seok engages with religious groups and merchants... Criticism of the People Power Party and the Democratic Party
Lee Jun-seok, the Reform Party candidate, visited Yulim Hall and Beomeosa Temple in Busan to connect with religious voters. He concurrently targeted both the People Power Party and the Democratic Party, expressing his presence.
On this day, the candidate visited Busan Yulim Hall in Dongnae-gu in the morning, where he had a meal with students in the university cafeteria at Pusan National University. Afterward, he visited Beomeosa Temple to meet with religious leaders and engaged with citizens through campaigning in Jagalchi Market and Seomyeon Street.
In particular, the candidate bowed 90 degrees to the merchants at Jagalchi Market, saying, “I will work hard.” One merchant replied, “We have no customers. Look at this,” pleading for an economic revival, while another merchant complimented him by saying, “You are better-looking than on TV.”
From the perspective of the Reform Party, which aims to position itself as a new conservative alternative to replace the People Power Party, gaining support from the relatively moderate electorate in PK is crucial.
Some suggest that whether former President Yoon Suk-yeol will leave the People Power Party could determine whether the candidate can achieve a double-digit voter percentage, causing complex calculations between the People Power Party and the Reform Party, particularly centered around TK and PK.
In particular, the candidate employed a 'dual criticism' strategy targeting both the Democratic Party and the People Power Party.
The candidate criticized Lee Jae-myung’s pledge to relocate the HMM headquarters to Busan, saying, “He is trying to gobble up the Busan votes and escape, playing games,” and added, “This candidate has started selling warm iced Americanos.” He further pressed, “Answer me honestly. Is the HMM transfer a bluff, or is the corporate law amendment a bluff?”
He confirmed that the essence of the corporate law amendment proposed by the Democratic Party is to regulate decisions made by major shareholders or management that contradict the interests of common shareholders, and asked, “If the HMM transfer is realized, will the interests of common shareholders increase or be undermined?”
He pointed out, “Even if the current public equity is significant, and it is essentially state-owned, that company must be in a location where it can achieve the best performance. We should avoid increasing uncertainty about the fate of individual businesses.”
He publicly targeted the People Power Party, which has raised the issue of unification with Kim Moon-soo. The candidate stated, “The larger entity (People Power Party) moving coercively against the smaller one (Lee Jun-seok) is something that the younger generation absolutely 'hates,' and the internal strife during the unification process with Han Duck-soo revealed an oppressive atmosphere, leading to public condemnation.”
He particularly emphasized that he was acquitted of allegations regarding sexual bribery, saying, “Even if they win the presidential election for me and the local elections, did they not attempt to kill people through such bribery?” He added that he had to resign as the leader of the People Power Party as if he had been chased away, and stated, “If you want to play hardball with threats, try a stronger threat, with a new item.”