South Korea’s Presidential Candidates Make Final Sprint To Election Day

SEOUL, June 2 (Bernama-Yonhap) – South Korea’s Democratic Party (DP) candidate Lee Jae-myung and People Power Party (PPP) candidate Kim Moon-soo made their final sprint to woo swing voters on Monday, a day before the presidential election, Yonhap News Agency reported.

Lee, the DP’s front-runner, kicked off the last day of his campaign in Seoul's northern Gangbuk Ward before making stops in the neighbouring cities of Hanam, Seongnam, and Gwangmyeong.

“Your vote can change history and protect our democracy,” Lee said during a press conference in Seongnam, widely considered his political hometown, where he served two consecutive terms as mayor from 2010 to 2018.

He emphasised his deep ties to the city, noting it was where he endured hardship and nurtured his dreams as a teenage factory worker, and later brought about social change as a civic activist.

“I promise to shape the future of South Korea together with the people, starting from my political hometown of Seongnam,” he added.

Lee later returned to the capital, campaigning in Seoul's Gangseo Ward, and held his final rally in Yeouido Park—the centre of South Korea’s political scene and home to the National Assembly—before concluding his day with a live broadcast on YouTube. Tens of thousands of supporters gathered for the final outdoor campaign stop, waving blue balloons.

Kim of the PPP began the day by visiting Peace Park on the southern island of Jeju to pay tribute to victims of the Jeju April 3 uprising. He then held campaign rallies in Busan, Daegu, and Daejeon to shore up last-minute support.

Kim held his final rally at the grass plaza in front of Seoul City Hall, a location chosen for its symbolic significance, where ordinary citizens have historically gathered to raise their voices, according to a campaign official.

Lee of the NRP plans to meet with university students in Siheung, Gyeonggi Province, while Kwon Young-kook of the minor Democratic Labour Party will campaign across Seoul, highlighting issues related to labour, disability rights, and gender equality.

The latest poll on the election showed the DP’s Lee in the lead with 49.2 per cent, followed by Kim of the PPP at 36.8 per cent. Lee Jun-seok came in third with 10.3 per cent support.

South Korea will elect a new president on Tuesday, following the ousting of former President Yoon over his short-lived imposition of martial law.

-- BERNAMA-YONHAP