On the afternoon of the 19th, in front of the Hongdae Sang Sang Madang in Mapo District, Seoul, when Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party of Korea presidential candidate, began his speech, there was a swell of cheers. The party's election committee played a logo song mixed with electronic dance music (EDM) and shouted, "Jump! Jump!" The candidate received a skateboard with "Real Korea" written on it as a gift.

Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea, receives a skateboard with 'Real Korea' written on it before his campaign in Hongdae, Mapo-gu, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 19th./Courtesy of News1

During his campaign this day, the candidate emphasized "national unity" and "economic growth." These two keywords were also mentioned continuously during previous campaigns held in Yongsan District, Yeongdeungpo District, and Mapo District.

He seemed aware that there were many young people present and stated, "Inequality and polarization dampen people’s motivation and obstruct sustainable growth. There is more capital than ever before, there is more education, and people are working hard, so why are despair and frustration so severe?"

He continued, "The path to sustainable growth lies in sharing opportunities and results equitably through 'inclusive growth,'" and added, "We all know this, so why isn't it happening? It’s because of the excessive greed of a particular minority. Because of this, some people say, 'Is Lee Jae-myung a red socialist?'"

The candidate then expressed his pragmatic side.

He said, "Isn’t it right to use useful and necessary policies, whether they are red or blue, as a way to illuminate the country's future? That group (People Power Party) has given up on conservatism, and we (the Democratic Party) need to take over. Finding a new path for growth isn’t something Lee Jae-myung or the Democratic Party does by 'shifting right,' it’s what must be done as a top priority given the current situation of our times."

Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea, speaks from a campaign vehicle with bulletproof glass in front of KT&G Sangsangmadang in Mapo-gu, Seoul, on the 19th. [Joint coverage]/Courtesy of Yonhap News

Young people passing by the Hongdae Sang Sang Madang that day were intrigued by the bulletproof glass walls surrounding the candidate. However, some expressed dissatisfaction with the street being restricted and turned away. Many people cynically stated, "I’m not interested in politics."

Seemingly sensing the atmosphere, the candidate also encouraged voting. Earlier that day, at the campaign event in Times Square, Yeongdeungpo District, he remarked, "Unfortunately, many people give up voting," and added, "While you might think that giving up on voting means being neutral, in reality, it means siding with the vested interests that agree to maintain the status quo."