Jung Chung-rae of the Democratic Party of Korea and Jang Dong-hyeok of the People Power Party both visited the Chungcheong region on the 12th to court the "Jungwon vote." The Democratic Party said it was aiming for "the success of the Lee Jae-myung administration," while the People Power Party took issue with a special counsel bill related to canceling the indictment of the president.
On the morning of the same day, party leader Jung Chung-rae attended the "Daejeon, Sejong, North Chungcheong, and South Chungcheong candidate convention" held in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province. Jung said, "The solemn mandate of the people, the spirit of the times, is to make the Lee Jae-myung administration succeed through victory in the local elections," adding, "We must honor the will of the people, win without fail, and repay our party members and the public."
Democratic Party candidates running in the Chungcheong races, including Daejeon mayoral candidate Heo Tae-jung, Sejong mayoral candidate Cho Sang-ho, South Chungcheong gubernatorial candidate Park Soo-hyun, and North Chungcheong gubernatorial candidate Shin Yong-han, all attended the convention. The Democratic Party is aiming to sweep all four metropolitan chief posts at stake in the Chungcheong region. In the 2018 local elections, the Democratic Party won them all, but in the 2022 local elections, the People Power Party won them all.
People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok also attended a South Chungcheong provincial victory rally held in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, on the morning of the same day. Jang said, "Once Lee Jae-myung's crimes were revealed, they filed complaints against everyone who gave testimony they didn't like and are even saying they will push for a special counsel to cancel the indictment," adding, "I believe it is time for the People Power Party to show strength to protect Chungcheong and to protect the Republic of Korea."
Kim Tae-heum, the People Power Party's South Chungcheong gubernatorial candidate who attended the event, even compared the president to Hitler. Kim said, "Hitler also became führer through an election after World War I. Drunk on high approval ratings, he made dictatorial laws and became a dictator," adding, "The Lee Jae-myung administration and the Democratic Party are a regime and a government capable of doing just that. Kim Tae-heum will stand with the candidates and protect South Chungcheong."
Party leaders Jung Chung-rae and Jang Dong-hyeok are ramping up on-the-ground activities ahead of the local elections. In the afternoon, Jung will travel to Gangjin, South Jeolla Province, to attend the South Jeolla, Gwangju, and North Jeolla candidate convention. On the 13th–14th, he will visit Ulleung County, North Gyeongsang Province, and on the 15th–16th, he plans to visit Jeju and Pyeongtaek.
Jang Dong-hyeok will also attend the North Gyeongsang provincial election committee launch event to be held in Suseong District, Daegu, in the afternoon, and on the 13th he plans to attend the opening of the campaign office of North Chungcheong gubernatorial candidate Kim Young-hwan in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province.
A People Power Party official said, "There have been many requests for party leader Jang Dong-hyeok to attend local campaign office openings and victory rallies," adding, "We are trying to go to as many places as possible, even if we can't make it to every region."