With the 6·3 presidential election fast approaching, Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party of Korea's presidential candidate, will campaign in 'PK (Busan, Ulsan, Gyeongnam)' for the final weekend.

While PK is the hometown of former presidents Roh Moo-hyun and Moon Jae-in, Lee lost to former President Yoon Suk-yeol in the previous presidential election by a margin of 13 to 20 percentage points. This illustrates how much the Democratic Party is focusing on PK ahead of this presidential election.

Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea, participates in a campaign event in the Busan and Gyeongnam (PK) region, which is considered a challenging area for the party, on the 14th. He visits Seomyeon in Busanjin-gu, Busan, signs an agreement with Kwon Gi-hyung, Chairperson of the H-Line Shipping Maritime Workers' Union, and poses for a commemorative photo./Courtesy of News1

According to ChosunBiz on the 29th, Lee will campaign in Ulsan and Busan on the final weekend of election activities, confirmed for the 1st of next month. He will revisit Busan, which he visited on the 14th, to make a final appeal for support. Additionally, Lee plans to campaign in his hometown of Andong, Gyeongbuk.

Earlier, Lee promised to turn Busan into the center of a maritime power by proposing bold pledges. Specific pledges for Busan include: ▲ transfer of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries to Busan ▲ attraction of 100 corporations to Busan ▲ establishment of an e-sports promotion foundation and museum ▲ development of a Tri-Port for sea, air, and land on the Northern Sea route ▲ relocation of public institutions to Busan.

As part of the 'attraction of 100 corporations to Busan' pledge, Lee announced plans to transfer the headquarters of domestic shipping corporation HMM to Busan. Additionally, the Democratic Party aims to set up an institution to invest in Busan corporations instead of relocating the Korea Development Bank there. However, regarding the transfer of HMM's headquarters, the Korea Development Bank, a major shareholder, has not considered the move, and there have been indications that HMM employees oppose the transfer to Busan.

Regarding the HMM transfer, Lee addressed the issue on Facebook on the 27th. He stated, 'I, Lee Jae-myung, always back up my promises with action and results, not just words,' adding, 'HMM is a private corporation but a subsidiary of a public company owned by the people. If the people want, the transfer to Busan is quite possible.'

Graphic = Son Min-kyun

PK is considered a relatively unpredictable region compared to TK (Daegu, Gyeongbuk) in the Yeongnam area.

According to the National Election Commission, in 2022, the vote margin in PK was as follows: Busan 20.10%p (Yoon Suk-yeol 58.25%·Lee Jae-myung 38.15%), Ulsan 13.63%p (Yoon 54.41%·Lee 40.79%), Gyeongnam 20.86%p (Yoon 58.24%·Lee 37.38%). In contrast, TK showed a large gap: Daegu 53.54%p (Yoon 75.14%·Lee 21.60%), Gyeongbuk 48.96%p (Yoon 72.76%·Lee 23.80%).

The Democratic Party aims to secure victory in the presidential election with final Yeongnam campaigns and regional pledges. A Democratic Party election committee member noted, 'High public appreciation is felt for Busan's regional pledges, and many are hopeful that Busan can become a growth hub city,' adding, 'It's important to secure as many votes as possible by giving our all in the final stage of campaigning to achieve victory.'