With the June 3 local elections a week away, the ruling and opposition parties have begun rallying their bases. Unlike earlier in the race when they used a "mountain rabbit" tactic to win over swing voters, they are now employing a "house rabbit" tactic to lock down their supporters, focusing on battleground regions.
◇Former President Park to stump in TK, Chungcheong, PK and Gangwon… "We have to get conservative voters to the polls"
Former President Park Geun-hye, called the "queen of elections" in the People Power Party, visited Jinju, South Gyeongsang, on the 27th. People Power Party gubernatorial candidate Park Wan-su, People Power Party Jinju mayoral candidate Han Kyung-ho, and local Jinju lawmakers Park Dae-chul and Kang Min-kuk joined her.
Arriving at Jinju Central Market around 11 a.m., the former president shook hands with supporters and merchants and asked for support for the People Power Party candidates. "When I came to the central market last year, you gave me a warm welcome, and I am grateful that so many of you are greeting me kindly again today," she said, adding, "The economy has been tough lately, and I have been very worried as well."
She continued, "Both candidate Park Wan-su and candidate Han Kyung-ho here with us are economic experts, and I believe they can revive the struggling regional economy," adding, "If citizens place their trust in them, I am confident they will surely revive the economy."
The former president is also scheduled to visit Ulsan and Busan that day. Earlier, Park visited Daegu on the 23rd and Chungcheong on the 25th and is set to visit Wonju and Hoengseong in Gangwon on the 28th.
In political circles, there is analysis that the former president could help bring conservative voters—who had hesitated to go to the polls—out to vote. A member of the People Power Party's central campaign committee said, "The party leader and former Minister Kim Moon-soo stepped forward, but their mass appeal wasn't strong, so we were worried. With the former president taking the lead, the mood is changing," adding, "It has effectively given traditional conservative voters a reason to vote."
Another official said, "From the People Power Party's standpoint, if we can just get conservative voters who were disappointed in the conservative party to the polls, that could translate directly into votes."
◇Democratic Party pushes "boycott Starbucks," "hit Ilbe"… "We must block independent Kim Kwan-young in North Jeolla"
The Democratic Party of Korea is fanning a Starbucks boycott and attacks on Ilbe. In response to an apology by Chung Yong-jin, chairman of Shinsegae Group, party leader Jung Chung-rae and Secretary-General Cho Seung-rae unleashed hard-line remarks such as "There is no sincerity" and "This cannot end with an apology that costs nothing." Earlier, chief spokesperson Kang Joon-hyun assessed the apology as "sincere," but within just half a day withdrew the assessment and apologized himself. In connection with this, Daegu mayoral candidate Kim Boo-kyum sent a message to "stop," but there was no change in the party's stance.
Political circles see the Starbucks boycott and attacks on Ilbe as highly effective in rallying the Democratic Party's enthusiastic base centered in Honam. In particular, with the North Jeolla governor's race becoming a razor-thin contest due to the strong showing of independent candidate Kim Kwan-young, the analysis is that the party judged it more important to consolidate its base than to court swing voters in order to win.
A political insider said, "Early in the race there were projections that the Democratic Party could sweep 14 of the 16 metropolitan mayor and governor posts, but now there is even talk that winning double digits could be difficult," adding, "Both parties are in a mood to secure the house rabbits first."