Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party of Korea's presidential candidate, visited his hometown, TK (Daegu and North Gyeongsang), on the 1st, the last weekend before the June 3rd presidential election, and said, "Andong, the home of Confucian scholars and traditional culture, conservative Andong, is my hometown where I was born, raised, and have my roots." In a situation where traditional conservative votes are shaken by the emergency military law of Dec. 3 and impeachment, the schedule aims to announce "Democratic Party is conservative" and target votes in difficult regions.
On this day, the candidate wrote on Facebook, "To Lee Jae-myung, Andong is a seed of change and acceptance that transcends the walls of tradition and conservatism, and a starting point towards a unified Korea." He also said, "Andong's Dochon-ri, Yean-myeon, reputed as one of the remotest among the remote areas in North Gyeongsang, is Lee Jae-myung's root where I walked the 6-kilometer, 30-ri round-trip mountain path daily to attend school," emphasizing the need to "heal economic inequality and political division, unite all people of the nation to overcome crises and create a new future."
He repeatedly emphasized "unity" while mentioning former Presidents DJ and Roh Moo-hyun. The candidate said, "President Kim Dae-jung expanded the universal values of democracy, human rights, and peace beyond regional limitations to the entire country, and President Roh Moo-hyun repeatedly challenged the high walls of regionalism with the challenge of ‘unity’ despite frequent defeats," noting, "Like the two presidents who faced divided politics of Yeongnam and Honam, conservatives and progressives head-on, Lee Jae-myung will continue that path."
Beginning at Wungbu Park in Andong, North Gyeongsang, in the morning, the candidate will tour Daegu, Ulsan, and Busan in the afternoon for on-site campaigning. Particularly, PK (Busan, Ulsan, and South Gyeongsang) is, along with TK, a representative difficult area for the Democratic Party. In the 20th presidential election, the candidate (38.15%) lost to former President Yoon Suk-yeol (58.25%) by a margin of 20 percentage points. In Ulsan, the candidate received 40.79%, while former President Yoon received 54.41%. Two years later, in the 22nd general election, the People Power Party achieved a complete victory, winning all but one of the 18 constituencies in Busan, except for one seat (Buk-gu Gap).