In a last-ditch effort to boost popularity, People’s Party presidential candidate Ahn Cheol-soo on Thursday kicked off nationwide rallies to canvass every constituency and meet with voters in person.

The campaign, titled “120 Hours of Walking to the People,” is a five-day tour all over the country. His first stop was Daegu and surrounding areas in North Gyeongsang Province, a conservative stronghold and former President Park Geun-hye’s political hometown.

“I’m hoping to share my sincerity with the people,” Ahn said through his Facebook account. He currently trails front-runner Moon Jae-in of the Democratic Party of Korea. Most recent polls show that Moon has a double-digit lead over Ahn.

“Instead of asking the people to come to my campaign vehicles, I will walk to the people.”

The move comes amid signs that Ahn may have lost his runner-up status, with some polls showing conservative front-runner Hong Joon-pyo of the Liberty Korea Party in second place.

In a Realmeter poll released Wednesday, Ahn and Hong’s support ratings tied at 18.6 percent. In a separate Realmeter poll targeting voters who are “most likely” to cast their ballots, Hong led with 18.8 percent to Ahn’s 16.9 percent.

The result is a drastic change from a survey conducted about two weeks earlier when Ahn’s support rating stood at about three times higher than that of Hong.

Alarmed by his lower-than-expected popularity, Ahn reiterated his pledge to build a “coalition government” by inviting what he called “reform-minded” presidential candidates, including Rep. Sim Sang-jeung of the minor Justice Party and Rep. Yoo Seong-min of the conservative Bareun Party.

Regarding Hong and Moon, however, Ahn spared no criticism, dismissing them as “archaic politicians” who represent the interests of establishment groups and might deepen national divide across ideologies and the economy.

“I am the only choice to defeat Moon Jae-in,” said Ahn on his Facebook account. “Hong Joon-pyo is not fit to be a president, even for a presidential candidate. If you vote for Ahn Cheol-soo, Ahn Cheol-soo will be the next president.”

Last month, Ahn had announced his roadmap on how to run the government. He vowed to create a coalition government by embracing diverse political groups and reducing the president’s power. Ahn, however, said he did not consider Hong as a partner for a coalition government.

By Yeo Jun-suk (jasonyeo@heraldcorp.com)