On the 1st, two days before the June 3 presidential election, the main presidential candidates from each party hit the campaign trail across the country for their final weekend push to win over voters.
Each candidate meticulously planned their routes based on their political bases and key battlegrounds, taking bold steps in their campaign efforts.
Lee Jae-myung, the candidate from the Democratic Party of Korea, started his first campaign rally that morning at Woongbu Park in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, his hometown. He then visited key locations in Yeongnam, including the plaza at Dongdaegu Station, Ilsan Beach in Ulsan, and the plaza at Busan Station, to appeal for votes.
The reason the candidate revisited the Yeongnam area is based on the judgment that the gap in recent public opinion polls is not as wide as expected in traditionally conservative regions like TK (Daegu and Gyeongbuk) and PK (Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam).
The candidate emphasizes integration and the future beyond regionalism with the message that 'the winds of change are blowing in Yeongnam' and is expected to highlight the image of breaking through challenging terrains.
Kim Moon-soo, the candidate from the People Power Party, focuses on differentiating himself from Lee Jae-myung. He highlights significant achievements such as the development of the Gwanggyo, Pangyo, and Godeok new towns, and the GTX (Great Train Express) during his tenure as governor of Gyeonggi Province, promoting 'development without noise and stable administration' as his core message.
The candidate begins in the Gwanggyo new town, then travels through northern Gyeonggi, including Seongnam, Guri, Namyangju, and Uijeongbu, before making his way to densely populated areas in southern Seoul such as Gangnam, Eunpyeong, Seodaemun, Mapo, and Gangseo.
He is launching an all-out effort to capture the middle ground vote in the metropolitan area, where more than half of the total electorate is concentrated, with the slogan 'The pulse of victory, the heart of Korea.'
Lee Jun-seok, the candidate from the Reform Party, met with voters in his constituency at Dongtan Lake Park in Hwaseong that day, and in the evening moved to Seoul Station to meet with citizens heading to various locations across the country. Dongtan, where he won a narrow victory in the April 10 election last year, holds significant symbolic value for the candidate.
The candidate is expected to emphasize the need for fresh change by promoting 'disruption of vested interests and political reform' targeting his core support base of younger voters and metropolitan voters.