With the June 3 local elections ahead, the on-site moves of the ruling and opposition party leaders are clearly diverging. Jung Chung-rae, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is touring the country with livelihood-focused visits and on-site supreme council meetings. In contrast, People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok has had no local schedule since March began.
◇ Jung Chung-rae makes five on-site visits in March alone, crisscrossing tough and friendly districts alike
Democratic Party leader Jung Chung-rae has made five local visits in March, continuing his on-site itinerary. Starting in Cheonan, South Chungcheong, on the 1st, he visited Yeonggwang, South Jeolla, on the 6th, and on the 11th joined Rep. Park Chan-dae in Incheon's Ganghwa for a shrimp fishing experience. He then held a sauce-making experience in Sunchang, North Jeolla, on the 13th, and on this day visited Hadong and Jinju in South Gyeongsang for a strawberry sorting experience and an on-site supreme council meeting, among other breathless stops.
At a news conference on the 8th, Jung said, "We hold the supreme council meeting three times a week, and for about two of those I will always go on-site," adding, "We will also hold on-site supreme council meetings at the city and county level, not just metropolitan governments." The plan is to keep combining on-site supreme council meetings with livelihood experiences through the local elections.
Inside and outside the party, the assessment is that he is "touring the country without distinguishing between tough and friendly districts, building an on-site, campaign-centered system."
◇ Jang Dong-hyeok has "zero" local schedule in March… YouTuber is touring the Yeongnam region
By contrast, People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok has seen his public local schedule shrink recently. Jang visited Jeju on the 6th of last month for a discussion on installing a second airport, and on the 11th of the same month visited Seomun Market in Daegu and the Korea Institute of Energy Technology in Naju, South Jeolla.
But since March began, apart from an on-site discussion by the People Power Party Mom Convenience Special Committee held in Mapo District, Seoul, on the 17th, there have been no schedules meeting ordinary citizens in the provinces. Given that it is typical for a party leader to rally the organization by touring the regions ahead of local elections, this is seen as unusual.
What draws attention even more is that the on-site moves of an outsider, not the leadership, are standing out. Conservative YouTuber Go Seong-guk visited Daegu on the 13th, meeting citizens with Daegu mayoral preliminary candidate Lee Jin-sook through his YouTube channel "Go Seong-guk TV." Go is touring the Yeongnam region, including Changnyeong, Sacheon, Yangsan and Pohang, interviewing preliminary candidates for basic-level heads of local governments and basic council members in succession.
A political source said, "There is even talk that a YouTuber is filling the field instead of the party leader," adding, "The party leader needs to at least take a photo with prospective candidates while touring the field and get in sync with the candidates so that regional contenders can build momentum, but if such contact decreases, organizational control will naturally weaken."
Another source said, "Ahead of the local elections, it is typical for prospective candidates to vie to invite the party leader to their regions, but perhaps there are no candidates calling for Jang."