The Rebuilding Korea Party, a day before the June 3 local election main vote on the 2nd, projected victory for its own candidate Cho Kuk running in the Pyeongtaek B National Assembly by-election in Gyeonggi and said it was confident that "the tilt toward victory has tilted."
General Headquarters Chief Lee Hae-min held a press briefing at the National Assembly that day and said, "When candidate Cho first went to open his campaign office, he started from 'zero' and is climbing at a very steep tilt," and stated accordingly.
Deputy Minister Lee said, "(Cho's victory) carries meaning beyond the election of a single lawmaker," adding, "It can be the strongest and only bridge to continue the solidarity and unity of the divided democratic camp."
Deputy Minister Lee rebutted criticism by Cho Seung-rae, the Democratic Party of Korea's chief general election chief, who said Cho was "abandoning the greater good and being absorbed in personal politics," saying, "Because the person who chose the lesser good is the Democratic Party candidate, I understand it as something said to turn it back on us."
However, dismissing talk of conflict with the Democratic Party, he said, "Setting relations with the Democratic Party was in the past, is today, and will be after the election the most certain allied party."
He said, "Not once have we said anything that would attack the Democratic Party or disrupt relations. We focused on vetting individuals," and appealed, "We ask the Democratic Party to cooperate so that the Rebuilding Korea Party can continue on the path of solidarity and unity it sought so hard to protect."
On the possibility of a single conservative candidate between Yoo Ui-dong of the People Power Party and Hwang Kyo-ahn of the Liberty and Innovation Party, he said, "Timing-wise, today is D-1 from the main voting day, so I think the impact is gradually diminishing," adding, "Based on the data, we judge it is not a situation where 1＋1 becomes 2."
However, he maintained caution about a potential late conservative consolidation shifting the race, saying, "If we let our guard down, it will be a big problem."
Aiming at the conservative camp, Deputy Minister Lee appealed for votes to achieve "zero People Power Party," saying, "Show the fearful power of the people to forces that deny democracy." He also argued for the need to change the Democratic Party-centered political landscape in the Honam region, saying, "Only when the monopoly political structure is broken is a politics of change possible that benefits the people."