The People Power Party leadership visited Daejeon to court public sentiment in Chungcheong. It is to target the "Jungwon," which Representative Jang Dong-hyeok, whose district is Boryeong and Seocheon in South Chungcheong, has consistently emphasized. Through a regional tour, the People Power Party seeks to rally for a fight against the administration in Chungcheong, a barometer of public opinion, and expects to gain an advantage in voter sentiment ahead of next year's local elections.
On the afternoon of the 24th, after paying respects at Daejeon National Cemetery, Representative Jang visited the national industrial complex for nano and semiconductors in Yuseong District, Daejeon. He then attended, in sequence, an on-site research and development (R&D) roundtable at the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT) in Daejeon and a youth roundtable. Following visits to PK (Busan, Ulsan, South Gyeongsang) and TK (Daegu, North Gyeongsang), he came to the Chungcheong region, a key stop along the Gyeongbu Line.
During the Daejeon visit, Representative Jang reviewed regional pending issues such as the transfer of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries to Busan, the transfer of Daejeon Prison, and the progress of the national nano and semiconductor industrial complex. Party leaders including Policy Committee Chair Kim Do-eup and Secretary-General Jeong Hee-yong accompanied Jang on the site visit. The purpose was to show a commitment to provide policy support for local issues.
After paying respects at Daejeon National Cemetery, Representative Jang told reporters, "There was opposition in the Chungcheong region to the ministry's transfer, and for the administrative capital transfer, the ministry should remain in Sejong," adding, "What is regrettable is that whenever there is a pending issue in the Chungcheong region, the Democratic Party is always silent and stands aside."
Later, while visiting the national nano and semiconductor industrial complex, he said, "I am very well aware of the issue of the transfer of Daejeon Prison, and everyone in Daejeon agrees that it must be resolved together in connection with the push for the national nano and semiconductor industrial complex," stressing, "I believe it must be resolved this time without fail, and the party will actively support it."
The primary goal of this Daejeon visit is to secure support for the fight against the administration. The People Power Party has announced a large-scale rally in Seoul on the 28th. As there are assessments that the rally held at Dongdaegu Station on the 21st fell short of expectations in intensity, steps are needed to draw in supporters. After meeting the previous day with Kim Moon-soo, former Minister of Employment and Labor and a rival in the party leadership race, to seek internal unity, Jang on this day addressed regional economic and youth issues to appeal to moderates.
There is also the meaning of preparing for the local elections to be held next year. The Chungcheong region plays a casting-vote role in every election. In particular, within the Democratic Party of Korea, Chief Presidential Secretary Kang Hoon-sik and party Secretary-General Cho Seung-rae are being mentioned as potential candidates in the region, putting the People Power Party in a position where it must also make a concerted effort.
Representative Jang, whose district is Boryeong and Seocheon in South Chungcheong, has emphasized the public sentiment in the Chungcheong region since taking office. The point is that to prevent the People Power Party from being confined to the Yeongnam region, its conservative stronghold, it is essential to capture Jungwon. Furthermore, to lay the groundwork for the so-called "Jungsu-cheong" (moderates, the Seoul metropolitan area, and young voters) needed for expanding its base, a roundtable with young people in Daejeon was arranged that day.
At a press conference immediately after being elected on the 26th of last month, Representative Jang said, "The Chungcheong region has always served as a barometer in elections, but I am well aware of the sentiment that it is always marginalized," adding, "I will embrace Chungcheong's public sentiment so that we can win next year's local elections."