Jang Dong-hyeok: 'Kospi 8000 is their only shield'
Han Byung-do: 'Signs the economic foundation is strengthening'
Economic issues take center stage as candidate controversies persist
By Jung Seok-jun, The Herald Business
With the June 3 local elections one day away, the ruling and opposition parties are throwing everything into a last-minute push for votes. Although the Democratic Party had been widely expected to hold the advantage, a string of controversies, accidents and unexpected developments has produced what observers describe as tighter-than-anticipated races in some regions.
Jang Dong-hyeok, the People Power Party's standing election campaign committee chairman, said Monday at the party's central headquarters in Seoul that "Kospi 8000 is the only shield President Lee Jae Myung and the Democratic Party use to cover up their misrule," arguing that support for the People Power Party would help restore the economy and improve people's lives.
Democratic Party floor leader Han Byung-do struck a contrasting tone at a floor strategy meeting the same day, saying there are "signs that the economy is moving beyond quantitative growth toward a stronger foundation." He called the election "the starting point for completing national normalization and building a Korea that takes a great leap forward, where regions thrive."
The economy was the sharpest point of contention between the two sides. The Democratic Party highlighted the Kospi's climb past the 8,000 mark since President Lee took office, touting it as evidence of economic achievement. Party leader Jung Chung-rae appealed directly to voters: "If you've been feeling good looking at your stock portfolio, please vote for Democratic Party No. 1."
The People Power Party pushed back, focusing on controversy over a proposed national dividend payment, instability in the real estate market and high inflation driven by Middle East tensions to build a case for punishing the government at the polls. A senior party official said that "despite rising share prices, the economic conditions people actually feel in their daily lives are still far from easy," adding that "as the election draws closer, that public sentiment is finding expression."
A controversy over a so-called "fabricated indictment special prosecutor act," which surfaced roughly a month before the election, also emerged as a key variable. The Democratic Party had pushed to launch a special prosecutor targeting alleged irregularities in investigations and indictments during the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, but growing concern inside and outside the party led it to defer action until after the local elections. The People Power Party labeled the effort a "prosecution-withdrawal special prosecutor" and kept up its offensive against the ruling party.
Safety issues also emerged as a late flashpoint in the campaign. A series of accidents — including a collapse at the Seosomun overpass in Seoul, an explosion at Hanwha Aerospace in Daejeon and a toxic gas exposure incident at SK Hynix in Cheongju — prompted both parties to briefly suspend parts of their campaign schedules. Both parties appeared to calculate that the government's handling of the incidents could influence public sentiment.
Democratic Party Seoul mayoral candidate Jeong Won-o said earlier, in connection with the Seosomun accident, that he would "fundamentally overhaul Seoul's safety standards." People Power Party election headquarters chief Jung Hee-yong criticized President Lee over the Hanwha Aerospace explosion, saying that "just over 30 minutes after the accident was reported, the president was spending his time posting a rebuttal to stock market coverage on his social media."
The two parties also clashed over Starbucks Korea's marketing campaign tied to May 18 — dubbed "Tank Day" — which drew accusations of trivializing the 1980 Gwangju pro-democracy uprising. The dispute escalated into a broader political fight after President Lee mentioned the possibility of legal action against online communities including Ilbe. Democratic Party chief spokesperson Kang Jun-hyeon said "the government and ruling party have never demanded anger or a boycott," and accused the People Power Party of "exploiting the perfectly reasonable call to correct a distorted view of history as a tool for political squabbling and electioneering." Jang rebuffed that framing, saying that "if there was wrongdoing, it should be punished through trial and corrected so it never happens again," and accusing President Lee and the Democratic Party of "slapping labels of hatred and discrimination on businesses and executives."
Controversies surrounding individual candidates also continued. The People Power Party went on the offensive against Democratic Party Seoul mayoral candidate Jeong Won-o, raising allegations of junket-style overseas trips and an assault incident. Democratic Party candidate Ha Jung-woo, running in the Busan Buk-gap by-election, drew criticism during campaigning for shaking off his hand after a handshake and for asking a female supporter to call him "oppa." Democratic Party Yangcheon-gu district chief candidate Woo Hyeong-chan bowed in apology after remarks he made to a baby during campaigning sparked a backlash.
The Democratic Party sought to brand certain People Power Party candidates with a "Yoon again" label from the moment of their nominations. The party targeted figures such as Park Min-sik — the People Power Party's Busan Buk-gap by-election candidate who served as the inaugural minister of Patriots and Veterans under the Yoon administration — and former lawmaker Lee Yong, running in the Gyeonggi Province Hanam-gap by-election, who had served as chief of staff to Yoon Suk Yeol during his presidential campaign. Late in the nomination process, former presidential chief of staff Jeong Jin-seok was also mentioned as a potential People Power Party candidate for the National Assembly by-election in the South Chungcheong Province constituency of Gongju, Buyeo and Cheongyang.
mp1256@heraldcorp.com
