CHEONGJU & DAEJEON, North Chungcheong Province -- Rep. Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea, sought to win over voters in the battleground cities of Cheongju and Daejeon in North Chungcheong Province on Saturday, with just three days left until Election Day.
In the past eight presidential elections since 1987, North Chungcheong Province, dubbed the barometer province, has accurately picked the winner.
The last election was no exception. In 2022, the People Power Party's then-candidate Yoon Suk Yeol earned 50.7 percent of the vote in North Chungcheong Province compared to Lee's 45.1 percent. Yoon won the election 48.6 percent to 47.8 percent overall.
Speaking to a large crowd of supporters gathered in a square outside Daejeon City Hall, Lee said, "They say if you win Chungcheong, you win South Korea ... So it's all in your hands," he said.
Rallying for the second day in the province just south of Greater Seoul, Lee said he would make areas outside the capital region wealthier. He said the stark contrast between Seoul and the rest of the country showed how wealth was unevenly distributed.
Lee then vowed to "end the privilege of the few."
"Isn't it time our country does away with privilege, (a situation) where only the select few live with special privileges? Isn't it time we have a country where everyone has equal opportunities?" he said, as the crowd erupted into cheers.
Lee cast himself as a "survivor."
"For a long time, I've been attacked, prosecuted and trampled on. But I've survived it all. Through the power of the people, I've dodged the sword and the pen," Lee said.
Once again, Lee blamed the Yoon administration for his legal troubles, accusing the former president of having prosecutors wrongfully charge and indict him.
"I've been indicted without any evidence," Lee claimed.
"This only shows how scared they are of Lee Jae-myung. Do you know why? Because Lee Jae-myung stands for the masses, not the elite, for small businesses, not large corporations. I stand for you," Lee said.
Lee has five ongoing criminal trials that are set to continue, even if he is elected president. Last month, the Democratic Party proposed a revision to the Criminal Procedure Act that would suspend criminal trials for a sitting president.
Asking the audience for their votes, Lee said if he wins, he will "build back South Korea into an entirely new country" and "drain the country of the Yoon cronies and insurrectionists."
The final polls, conducted May 22-23 on 1,000 voters in the province, point to a Lee victory. Lee was ahead of his main rival Kim Moon-soo by 7 percentage points, 45 percent to 38 percent, a gap outside the margin of error.
The two-day period of early voting ended Friday with 34.7 percent of eligible voters having cast their ballots.
arin@heraldcorp.com
