Former President Park Geun-hye on the 25th visited the birthplace of her mother, Yuk Young-soo, in Okcheon, North Chungcheong. After first visiting a traditional market in Daegu to stump for People Power Party Daegu mayoral candidate Choo Kyung-ho, she expanded her activity radius to the Chungcheong region. Some said she has embarked on a full-fledged political move for a "conservative rally" with the June 3 local elections and by-elections as an inflection point.
Around 11 a.m. that day, Park arrived at the birthplace wearing a white jacket and black pants. It had been a year since the presidential election in May last year that Park visited her mother's birthplace. About 1,000 people gathered in the area around the birthplace, according to police estimates. Park waved in response to citizens chanting her name and readily agreed to requests for photos and autographs. People Power Party North Chungcheong governor candidate Kim Young-hwan, Okcheon county chief candidate Jeon Sang-in, and National Assembly members Park Deok-heum and Um Tae-young accompanied her.
Park said, "If you trust that the candidates will keep what they promised the people, the people will recognize that and choose them," adding, "North Chungcheong governor candidate Kim Young-hwan and candidate Jeon Sang-in are two people who will give that trust." She then told supporters, "Please help the People Power Party candidates. Give these people a chance to work."
It has been nine years since Park stumped in support of a nationwide election after her impeachment in 2017. Following her visit to the Chungcheong region that day, she is expected to visit Wonju Central Market on the 28th to support People Power Party Gangwon governor candidate Kim Jin-tae, and then visit Busan, Ulsan, and South Gyeongsang (PK). People Power Party chief spokesperson Park Sung-hoon said, "It appears to be an action born of the determination that she can no longer just watch Korea crumble," adding, "In keeping with her conviction that there must be no internal divisions, we think she will deliver a message asking voters to cast their ballots for the People Power Party."