Jung Chung-rae, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, visited Hanam, Gyeonggi Province, to campaign for Lee Kwang-jae, who was strategically nominated for Hanam A, and for Choo Mi-ae, the Democratic Party of Korea candidate for Gyeonggi governor. Jung boosted the two candidates aggressively, working to highlight his presence.
On the afternoon of the 29th, Jung visited Deokpung Traditional Market in Hanam, meeting merchants and residents as he continued his on-site schedule. Jung said, "Choo Mi-ae has come back bigger, and Lee Kwang-jae, who follows, has come to become even bigger," praising the two candidates.
Jung then approached merchants with a smile and said, "Say hello to Lee Kwang-jae too—why leave out Lee Kwang-jae?" showing an active push to promote the candidate.
The three toured the market, appealing for support. When Jung shouted, "Gyeonggi's Choo Mi-ae, Hanam's Lee Kwang-jae, and also Hanam's Kang Byung-deok are here," Choo responded, "A worker, I will do the job well," raising her thumb.
An impromptu song followed on site. When a merchant introduced themselves as the first-place winner of a singing contest, Jung, the two candidates, and supporters raised the mood by changing a line from the pop song "Ode to Seoul" to "I will live in Hanam" and singing together.
Hanam A, which Jung visited that day, is considered a key battleground in the Seoul metropolitan area. In the 22nd general election, Choo, who ran in Hanam A, defeated former People Power Party lawmaker Lee Yong by 1,199 votes. Accordingly, it is seen as the party leader personally visiting the site to support Lee.
Immediately after the market visit, Jung met with reporters and spoke about his ties with Lee. Regarding Lee, Jung said, "We entered the 17th National Assembly together and used adjacent offices," adding, "I was impressed by how he always filled a whiteboard with notes."
He went on, "Based on his experience of carrying out creative and practical administration when he was Gangwon governor, he is the right person to rapidly develop Hanam," explaining the background of the strategic nomination.
Lee responded to former People Power Party lawmaker Lee Yong's criticism of "politics that uses Hanam as a stepping stone," saying, "I will take it as a call to work even harder." Lee added, "A senior politician should be able to win anywhere," and "In the end, what matters is how well you do the job."
Lee also said, "To solve problems, you must be able to move the National Assembly, and you also need experience coordinating the government," adding, "Based on my experience as Gangwon governor, I am more confident than anyone in getting things done." He continued, "Lee Kwang-jae came to work. I believe competence means Lee Kwang-jae."
Regarding a question about the possibility of recruiting additional talent, Jung said, "There will likely be one more," adding, "Aside from the person to be announced tomorrow, we are reviewing about one more person; it is not yet finalized, but there is a candidate in mind."