On the 22nd, as the campaign period for the June 3 presidential election reached its halfway point, Kim Moon-soo, the presidential candidate from the People Power Party, visited his 'political hometown' of Bucheon and expressed his determination for a 'turnaround victory.' His family, including his wife and daughter, were all present.
The campaign venue heated up more than ever as political seniors, including former Democratic Party leader Son Hak-kyu, and market grandmothers with whom he had connections from his time as a member of the National Assembly took to the podium.
◇ "From 3rd to 1st"… Received red sneakers as a gift
Around 6:10 p.m. that day, in front of Bucheon Station. Kim Moon-soo, the presidential candidate from the People Power Party, went up to the podium with a gray-haired grandmother. Jeon Nam-hee, a 90-year-old grandmother who said she runs a fruit shop, gifted Kim Moon-soo sneakers, urging him to "run diligently." Kim, who wore the sneakers, bowed deeply in gratitude.
Grandmother Jeon cheered, saying, "Is the business a problem? The president is the problem," to which Kim responded with a heartfelt voice, "Everyone, I am not the problem as president; your business thriving is my problem!"
For Kim, Bucheon is a unique city. He participated in student movements during the Park Chung-hee administration, was expelled twice for incidents like the 1971 student protests and the 1974 Mincheonghakryun incident, and disguised himself to work in a dressmaking factory in the Guro Industrial Complex to immerse himself in the labor scene. He later faced imprisonment while fighting for labor rights.
Later, in 1994, at the invitation of President Kim Young-sam, he joined the Democratic Freedom Party, and in the 1996 15th National Assembly elections, he ran in Bucheon Sosab district and was elected, entering the political arena.
Throughout the campaign that day, Kim expressed his gratitude toward the citizens of Bucheon who had nurtured him, referring to them as his 'political hometown.'
He said, "On March 8, 1994, President Kim Young-sam told me, 'Give politics a shot,' so I came down for the first time. Everyone told me, 'You're in 3rd place.' At that time, the person in 1st was Park Ji-won, a spokesperson for President Kim Dae-jung, who was quite popular."
He continued, "I ran tirelessly for two years. I rushed to help retrieve furniture during floods in semi-basements and followed fire trucks when there were fires. I kept finishing in 3rd place, but three days before the last vote, I climbed up to 1st place and won by about 1,600 votes."
Kim also emphasized, "I am just an ordinary person, but thanks to everyone’s love, today’s Kim Moon-soo exists."
He also made promises about reviving the economy. Mentioning achievements like bringing in Sosab Station and the Gyeongin double-track line, he stated, "Working hard for citizens who live honestly is my joy and happiness," and added, "Transportation is welfare. I will become the president of transportation."
◇ Daughter-in-law, a 'social worker' from Bucheon, joins the campaign
In this campaign, Kim's wife, Ms. Seol Nan-young, and her daughter Dong-joo, who works as a social worker in Bucheon, took to the stage to support him.
Kim introduced that he met his wife while participating in labor movements, saying, "I was targeted by the Samcheong Education and Training Center. I was fired from the factory and laid off from the union, with nowhere to hide, so I asked my wife to hide me in the attic, and she did. After the martial law ended, we had our wedding. (My wife) had no dress, ring, or invitation, nothing at all, but we still got married and we're living well with kids. I am so happy," expressing his gratitude to his wife.
He continued, with Ms. Seol next to him, "Since getting married, I've never called myself a bachelor outside. I've lived honestly, even if my wife was scary," which elicited great laughter among the observing citizens.
Earlier, Kim attended a meeting at a daycare center in Gyeonggi's Gwangmyeong City with Ms. Seol.
Kim also revealed that he started the 'childcare project,' which was the precursor to the daycare center, to assist his wife, who is balancing work and childcare. He stated, "The goal is for the state to take responsibility and raise all the children, and for public education to be treated like Leap School, allowing mothers to worry less and give birth and raise their babies," along with promises regarding improving educators' treatment at daycare centers and expanding parental leave benefits.
By emphasizing the value of 'family,' he aims to soften his 'strong image' and contrast himself with Lee Jae-myung, a candidate from the Democratic Party of Korea, who has faced marriage controversies, in an effort to appeal to centrist voters.
◇ Son Hak-kyu appeals for support, saying, “I have done labor movements, but I take the lead in economic construction” … voter sentiments are divided
After Kim's speech, another person took the microphone. Son Hak-kyu, former leader of the Democratic Party, said, "I declared my support for Kim Moon-soo this morning. But coming here, it seems I didn’t need to make a support declaration. Until yesterday, I thought I would lose by 10% to the opposing candidate, but coming here, it feels like he is already the president."
Former leader Son remarked, "This person (Kim Moon-soo) was involved in labor movements when he was young, but as our society cannot progress with illegal strikes alone (especially) it must become a favorable place for corporations, he shifted to conservatism and took the lead in economic construction. Kim proposed the Pangyo Techno Valley, the Pyeongtaek semiconductor cluster, and the GTX plan when he was the governor of Gyeonggi."
Then, Na Kyung-won, co-chair of the campaign committee, took the microphone and said, "Just as you achieved a miracle in Bucheon, please create a miracle for our country again."
In particular, the woman who gifted sneakers to Kim that day recalled him as 'first-time National Assembly member Kim Moon-soo' more than twenty years ago as a diligent figure.
Grandmother Jeon commented, "When he was a member of the National Assembly, he regularly observed how the market operated. Other members would only come during holidays like Seollal and Chuseok, but he (Kim) came often." She also mentioned that upon hearing the news of Kim's presidential candidacy, she visited the Seoul campaign office alone to offer her support.
However, the citizens' reactions were a mix of warmth and coldness.
In front of the campaign site, many supporters in their 60s and 70s held red balloons and shouted, "Kim Moon-soo! President!"
Yoon Mo (74, male) stated, "He is clean, right? No corruption. He has an impressive background, having served as Gyeonggi governor twice and as a National Assembly member three times, so there is nothing to criticize. His wife and daughter are the same. Among the politicians I have seen in my life, he is the cleanest. He also did a lot of work when in the National Assembly. He is the one who laid the foundation for urban development here, Kim Moon-soo."
There were also some young voters in their 20s and 30s who came to show their support. Park Mo (23, female) expressed, "He seems to be someone who understands the people's hearts, and I have supported him since early this year. There seems to be sincerity in his words. I had originally planned to hang out with friends, but I came out to this campaign site."
Conversely, there were voters protesting nearby, holding signs that read, "Eliminate the 6·3 insurrection forces with your vote!" A voter who claimed to be from the Bucheon Citizens' Alliance criticized, saying, "It’s absurd that insurrection forces come out to run for president. Kim Moon-soo has remained silent on martial law, hasn’t he?"