South Korea Presidential Rivals Make Final Campaign Push

SEOUL, June 1 (Bernama-Yonhap) -- As the June 3 presidential election loomed just two days away, candidates on Sunday pressed on with their final efforts to consolidate their support base and persuade swing voters, Yonhap News Agency reported.

Lee Jae-myung of the liberal Democratic Party campaigned in his hometown of Andong, approximately 190 kilometres southeast of Seoul, before meeting with voters across the wider Gyeongsang region.

He apparently hoped to win over even a small number of voters in the area, a traditional stronghold for conservative candidates where his party typically has little support.

Earlier in the day, Lee vowed to ensure "fair treatment" for patriots and veterans who dedicated themselves to defending the country.

"The fundamental duty of the state is to uphold patriotism in an honourable manner," he wrote on his Facebook page.

"I will establish independence, national defence and democracy as the three pillars of our support for them to improve their recognition and treatment as well as honour them with the due respect they deserve," he said, vowing to expand medical services and provide better financial support for them.

Kim Moon-soo of the conservative People Power Party campaigned in the wider Seoul area on Sunday, starting in Gwanggyo New Town, Gyeonggi Province, in an effort to consolidate support in the region where he formerly served as governor.

Lee Jun-seok of the minor conservative New Reform Party also campaigned at Dongtan Lake Park in Hwaseong in Suwon, 33 kilometres south of Seoul, making a final push to win over voters. He is expected to launch a rally in Seoul later in the day.

South Korea will elect a new president on June 3 after former President Yoon Suk Yeol was removed from office over his short-lived imposition of martial law in December.

-- BERNAMA-YONHAP