Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate from the Democratic Party of Korea, visited Chungcheongnam-do, which is considered the 'casting vote' in the election, to encourage participation in early voting and appeal for support. Lee defined the People Power Party as 'far-right' and claimed that 'if the insurgent forces return, we could degrade into a backward country.'
On the afternoon of the 25th, the candidate visited Handulmulbit Park in Tangjeong Station, Asan, and said in a Chungcheong dialect, 'It seems like all the citizens of Asan are gathered here,' adding, 'This expresses the desperate wish to create a new world, a world full of hope.'
During the campaign in Asan, the candidate emphasized 'participation in early voting.' Before starting his speech, he staged an early voting performance by placing a ballot in the ballot box, saying, 'Did you hear that the ballot is a bullet?' and 'You, citizens of Chungcheongnam-do, I will vote.'
He then said, 'Unfortunately, the early voting is next Thursday and Friday. We have no choice but to vote on Thursday and Friday, so please inform those who cannot participate in early voting,’ and added, 'I ask you to participate significantly in early voting so we can secure victory.'
The candidate expressed the dichotomy between 'insurgent forces' and 'constitutional defense forces' in Chungcheongnam-do. He stated, 'June 3rd is not the day to decide whether Lee Jae-myung or Kim Moon-soo will be president, but the day to decide whether the insurgent forces will return or whether a democratic republic where the people are the masters will be established.'
He continued, 'If the insurgent-supporting candidate returns, this country will degrade into a third-world country, forever dominated by violence, unfairness, and illegality,' stressing, 'Will you pass on such a world to your children and the next generation?'
Before arriving in Asan, he visited Dangjin City in Chungcheongnam-do, where he emphasized the closure of coal-fired power plants and the expansion of solar and wind energy-based pensions. Dangjin City is home to a coal-fired power plant. He also mentioned the Seohae Bridge, east-west cross-railway, and support for the port centered on the western coastal navigation rights at Dangjin Port.
The candidate said, 'Closing the Dangjin coal-fired power plant by 2040 is a crisis for you, but it cannot be avoided,' and emphasized, 'We must convert this area to produce renewable energy. It is several times more profitable to capture sunlight and produce and sell than to engage in rice farming or vegetable farming.'
He added, 'Wherever coal-fired power plants are closed, we need to create a renewable energy-centric industrial complex and establish substations to attract data centers,' stating, 'Do not stress over the Dangjin coal-fired power plant, but hope that 'this is how we can live again.'