Jung Chung-rae, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, visited "PK (Busan, Ulsan and South Gyeongsang)." As South Gyeongsang is a battleground where Democratic Party candidate Kim Kyeong-soo and incumbent South Gyeongsang Gov. Park Wan-su of the People Power Party are engaged in a so-called showdown between a former and current officeholder, he set out to provide backup for the local elections.
On the afternoon of the 21st, Leader Jung visited Donghang-ri, Yokji-myeon, Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang, to experience a livelihood site for sweet potato cultivation. Joining the visit were Supreme Council members Lee Seong-yoon, Moon Jeong-bok, Park Ji-won and Park Gyu-hwan of the Democratic Party, as well as Chief Spokesperson Kang Jun-hyeon, Deputy Director-General for Organization Kwon Hyang-yeop, and Spokesperson Kim Nam-kuk.
Jung wore black hiking clothes instead of a suit and planted sweet potatoes himself. The Democratic Party leadership's sweet potato planting experience lasted about an hour. They learned from the field owner how to plant sweet potatoes and kept time to the song of the Yokji Island residents' autonomous committee chair.
It was about a month since Jung last visited South Gyeongsang, after a visit to Yangsan in South Gyeongsang on Mar. 23. In the meantime, he visited Busan on the 15th and Ulsan on the 18th. As the Democratic Party is determined to win back PK in the June 3 local elections, it is putting in significant effort. Among the PK region, South Gyeongsang has emerged as the biggest battleground, with former Gov. Kim Kyeong-soo and incumbent Gov. Park Wan-su facing off.
After finishing the sweet potato cultivation experience, Jung told reporters, "When I analyzed the South Gyeongsang race, it seemed that the Democratic Party is slightly ahead overall," adding, "So among Busan, Ulsan and South Gyeongsang, I think South Gyeongsang is the area the Democratic Party should focus on most."
He added, "I understand South Gyeongsang has a somewhat larger number of unaffiliated voters than other regions," and said, "I came to the island today to stir up a blue wind from Yokji Island in Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang. I will do my best until South Gyeongsang is colored by a blue wind."
After the sweet potato outing, a "roundtable to improve living conditions for island residents" was held with Yokji Island residents. The roundtable took place in a friendly atmosphere, with Yokji residents telling Jung, "You worked hard to come from so far away," as they struck up conversation. Afterwards, they visited a rockfish farm on Yokji Island for another livelihood experience.
Jung said, "I heard Yokji Island once had a population of 14,000, but now it is 2,000," adding, "The inconveniences of living in a city and in the countryside are very different. We will solve what can be solved so that people can live a humane life just the same."