Anjung-eup in Pyeongtaek is considered the very center of the Pyeongtaek-eul constituency, where a National Assembly by-election will be held on June 3. A visit to Anjung-eup on the 8th showed at a glance that this place is the biggest battleground in this National Assembly by-election.
Banners for several candidates running in the by-election and the Pyeongtaek mayoral race filled the buildings facing the main road. Democratic Party of Korea candidate Kim Yong-nam, Rebuilding Korea Party candidate Cho Kuk, People Power Party candidate Yoo Ui-dong, The Progressive Party candidate Kim Jae-yeon, and Liberty and Innovation candidate Hwang Kyo-ahn all set up campaign offices here.
No fewer than five candidates have entered the race, and three of them are party leaders. In terms of weight alone, it is fiercer than the three-way race in Busan Buk-gap. Another point to watch is that there are three candidates from the progressive camp and two from the conservative camp. The calculations for unifying the Democratic Party of Korea, the Rebuilding Korea Party, and The Progressive Party are intricately entangled.
Reactions from residents met during reporting varied widely. Min, a person surnamed Min (77, male) who lives in Anjung-eup, said, "They are trying to use a special counsel to clear Lee Jae-myung of charges, and we need to elect someone who will stop that," adding, "Yoo Ui-dong is local and better." Min said, "Hwang Kyo-ahn would do well too, but for now we have to unite as one."
Kim, a taxi driver (70, male) with whom we chatted briefly while riding in a taxi, said, "Cho Kuk doesn't even know where Pyeongtaek is located, so why is he running here?" adding, "I don't really know who Kim Yong-nam is either, and I think the old hand is the trusty hand. I think it's Yoo Ui-dong."
By contrast, Oh (64, male) said, "Unlike in the past, a huge number of young people have moved into Pyeongtaek now," adding, "Because the reaction to martial law is bad, it won't be easy for Yoo Ui-dong either, and in the end the Democratic Party of Korea candidate will win."
Seo (37, female), met in Cheongbuk-eup, said she is torn between Cho Kuk and Kim Yong-nam. Seo said, "I recently ran into Representative Cho Kuk, and it felt like seeing a celebrity," adding, "But the Democratic Party of Korea also put forward a decent figure, so I'm debating whom to support."
Public sentiment split sharply over Cho Kuk. Choi (25, male), who said he attends Hanshin University, said, "I haven't seen anyone in their 20s who supports Cho Kuk. There was a strong sense of deprivation over the admissions scandal," adding, "I don't think I can vote for the People Power Party, and among the candidates, Kim Yong-nam seems the most reasonable."
By contrast, Jung (56, female) said, "Because of Yoon Suk-yeol, my family all suffered, so we have to bring Mr. Cho Kuk back," adding, "Kim Yong-nam also came from the People Power Party, so I can't trust him. Don't they keep attacking Cho Kuk?"
In political circles, the view is that "unification" will ultimately be the biggest watershed in the Pyeongtaek race. A The Progressive Party official said, "What we meant by unification was an election alliance. An election alliance should be done nationwide, and among those, a few places stand out, such as Pyeongtaek and Ulsan, where leaders are running, and Busan Yeonje District Office head," adding, "It's not the final stretch yet, and it's not that there is no possibility at all, so we are in wait-and-see mode. From Jung Chung-rae's leadership perspective, the key to the local elections will be the Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam region."
This official said, "The Rebuilding Korea Party put up candidates all across Honam, and I don't know what that has to do with 'People Power Party zero.'"
Unification is also a hot topic in the conservative camp, including for candidates Yoo Ui-dong and Hwang Kyo-ahn. A People Power Party official said, "There has been absolutely no proposal for unification yet," but added, "In the end, we expect consolidation will occur."