“Greetings, citizens of Nonsan! Today, a prominent figure born in Nonsan, Governor Lee In-jae, has come forward. Among those who were governors of Gyeonggi Province, he is the one who supports me the most. I hope citizens of Nonsan and Chungcheong will rally behind me, as my poll results in Chungcheong show I am significantly ahead of candidate Lee Jae-myung.”
On the 25th, when Kim Moon-soo, the People Power Party presidential candidate, raised both hands triumphantly in front of Homeplus in Nonsan, the crowd erupted in cheers.
Kim noted, “There have been many difficulties, like martial law, impeachment, and economic hardships, but I want to express my deep respect on behalf of the People Power Party. I ask for forgiveness for all past wrongs,” as he bowed deeply, earning applause from citizens.
He then targeted candidate Lee Jae-myung, stating, “I will become an honest president who does not make people lie. Daejangdong is a small development project of less than 300,000 pyeong. I have developed projects like Gwanggyo New Town, Pangyo New Town, and Pyeongtaek's Dongtan semiconductor complex, which are tens of times larger than Daejangdong. I have never been investigated due to corruption, and there are no people around me who have been imprisoned.”
He continued, “If the upper water is clear, so is the lower water. If government officials are clean, then the citizens will be clean. I made Gyeonggi Province the cleanest public service in the country. After Lee Jae-myung became governor, that standard dropped,” accentuating his distinction from the candidate.
At a rally in Boryung's Daechun Station, Kim's attacks on candidate Lee Jae-myung continued.
“There are people giving speeches in bulletproof vests, but I am a guy in a red shirt. I don't have a bulletproof vest. There are people covering themselves even with bulletproof glass while giving speeches, yet they still tremble with guilt, threatening to impeach even the Chief Justice and justices. When someone commits a crime, where should they go? To prison!”
Kim stated, “Even the president must face trial if they do wrong. If others can be put on trial, and one threatens to impeach the Chief Justice and justices without facing trial themselves, isn't that dictatorship?” He raised his voice, saying, “Only you can judge these wrongdoers.”
◇Focusing campaign efforts on Chungcheong, a key battleground in the presidential election… total effort to 'reshape public sentiment'
On this day, candidate Kim Moon-soo began his focused campaign starting in Okcheon, where former First Lady Yuk Young-soo's birthplace is located, moving on to Nonsan, Gongju, Boryung, Seosan, and Asan. Notable local figures including former lawmaker Lee In-jae, Jang Dong-hyuk, and Seong Il-jong all joined him on stage, chanting, 'Kim Moon-soo! President!'
The Chungcheong region has been a key area playing the role of a 'casting vote' in presidential elections. Due to its geographical characteristics spanning both Gyeongsang and Jeolla provinces, it does not lean towards a specific camp and has a strong centrist inclination. Many voters in the field seem to be undecided about who to vote for. So far, public sentiment in Chungcheong has mirrored the national average, yet has been showing distinct trends in late shifts and preferences for third-party candidates, significantly affecting election outcomes.
Moreover, in a recent Gallup Korea opinion poll, it was revealed that candidate Kim has overtaken candidate Lee Jae-myung for the first time within the margin of error, indicating a tumultuous public sentiment.
According to the results published on the 23rd by Gallup Korea, in Daejeon, Sejong, and the Chungcheong region, candidate Kim received 41% support, surpassing Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party of Korea, who garnered 38%, within the margin of error. Nationally, Lee Jae-myung's approval rating was 45% while Kim Moon-soo's was at 36%. This marks the first reversal observed in the Chungcheong region (A telephone interview was conducted from Jan. 20-22 with 1,002 men and women aged 18 and over across the nation using mobile phone virtual numbers, with a 95% confidence level and a margin of error of ±3.1 percentage points, and a response rate of 17.8%. For more details, refer to the Central Election Survey Deliberation Committee).
Speaking to reporters in Gongju, Kim stated, “Chungcheong is important in various ways. I will frequently visit and care for regional development and public sentiment,” and emphasized, “We must not allow candidates with issues of lies and corruption to emerge in this presidential election, reflecting the sentiments of the Chungcheong residents.”
◇Park Geun-hye embraces Lee Jun-seok with a 'love call'… swift steps toward unification and conservative consolidation
With nine days until the election, candidate Kim Moon-soo is ramping up efforts to consolidate conservative support. The day before, he paid respects at the birthplace of former President Park Jeong-hee located in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province, and met with former President Park Geun-hye in Daegu. On the same morning, he visited Okcheon to win support for the restoration of former President Park Geun-hye's honor.
Kim said, “Former President Park has already been to prison and has lost her home, and she is currently in Daegu. It is right that we allow a former president to maintain basic living standards.”
As the printing of ballots began that day, candidate Kim confirmed his intention to continue unification efforts with Lee Jun-seok of the Reform Party, having missed the first deadline for unification. His remarks are interpreted as being aimed before the early voting period (29-30) and by the 28th.
Kim stated, “We are planning to meet from various angles,” and added, “How and when that will happen is not something I can discuss at this moment. Since we were originally one root, we will continue to exert effort.”
Lee In-seop (80), who observed the rally at Daechun Station, commented, “I see more people around me who support candidate Kim,” adding, “Ideally, I would have liked more people to see this, but since it's not in the city, I felt it was somewhat disappointing.”