Rival parties intensify campaigning as election nears

As the April 10 parliamentary elections draw near and with early voting just two days away, rival parties intensified their campaigning efforts Wednesday.

The ruling People Power Party (PPP) has ramped up its criticism of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP), focusing on some of its controversial candidates involved in real estate speculation.

Meanwhile, the DP has urged voters to deliver a stern judgment on what it calls the “incompetent” Yoon Suk Yeol administration, with former President Moon Jae-in joining the campaign trail to bolster the message.

Both parties have also encouraged eligible voters to participate in early voting, evidently anticipating the potential impact of the two-day advance voting turnout on determining the actual election outcome.

PPP leader Han Dong-hoon and all of the party’s candidates said they will cast their ballots Friday.

“Regardless of your choice between early voting and voting on election day, please make sure to head to the polling stations,” Han emphasized while visiting competitive constituencies ranging from North Chungcheong Province and Gangwon Province to Gyeonggi Province.

Also, the PPP initiated fresh attacks on DP candidates embroiled in real estate speculation allegations, including Yang Moon-suk, who is running for the Ansan-A constituency in Gyeonggi Province.

Allegations surfaced that Yang’s daughter, then a college student, allegedly secured a bank loan of 1.1 billion won (US$816,000), claiming the loan was for business purposes after registering herself as a self-employed individual. However, the funds were actually used to purchase an expensive apartment in an affluent Seoul neighborhood, which is now owned by Yang and his wife.

The PPP said the DP is criticizing speculative investment in real estate while its candidates are allegedly resorting to deceptive practices to inherit wealth to their children.

Meanwhile, Moon has joined the campaign trail of five DP candidates running for districts in the southeastern cities of Busan and Ulsan, and the surrounding South Gyeongsang Province, over the past two days.

“This general election is crucial, determining the fate of the Republic of Korea,” Moon said during his visit to Ulsan on Monday.

Moon also intensified his critique against the Yoon administration, labeling it as incompetent and ignorant, seemingly in line with the DP’s slogan.

The DP has accused the Yoon government of significantly worsening the economy and people’s livelihoods and mishandling a series of controversial issues over the past two years.

Observers attribute Moon’s relatively harsh remarks to the latest efforts to consolidate voter support in districts with highly competitive constituencies.

Moon had earlier pledged to stay out of politics since leaving office and has resided at a retirement house in Yangsan, 310 kilometers southeast of Seoul.