SEOUL — In the final push before South Korea's general elections, political parties intensified their efforts to attract voters in key battleground areas on Sunday, following an unprecedented early voting turnout of 31.28 percent.
According to Yonhap News Agency,ssssssss the Ruling People Power Party (PPP) leader, Han Dong-hoon, focused his campaign efforts in the central city of Daejeon and the surrounding Chungcheong Provinces, areas with a high number of constituencies considered too close to call. During his visit, Han made promises to enhance the region's development by increasing the budget for research and development in sciences and technology. He also reiterated his commitment to relocating the National Assembly building to Sejong, asserting that such a move would stimulate economic growth in Chungcheong and neighboring regions.
Han criticized some candidates from the opposition as criminals, cautioning voters against allowing them to gain control in the next National Assembly and suggesting that their leadership could undermine the Korea-U.S. alliance and the country's foundational institutions.
On the other side, Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung campaigned in his Gyeyang constituency in Incheon, and later in Seoul's Gangnam district, a known stronghold of the PPP. Lee charged the current administration with mismanagement and misuse of presidential powers for personal gain, calling on voters to issue a stern warning against such practices.
The heightened voter interest is reflected in the record turnout observed during the early voting period, which saw 13,849,043 out of 44,280,011 eligible voters casting their ballots — a significant increase from the 26.69 percent turnout in the 2020 parliamentary elections. This year's elections are crucial, as they could either grant President Yoon Suk Yeol's ruling party control of parliament or significantly limit his ability to govern during the remainder of his term.
The outcome of the elections will play a decisive role in shaping South Korea's political landscape for the coming years, with all parties making concerted efforts to sway undecided voters in the final days leading up to the vote.