Gyeonggi Governor, Incheon Mayor Candidates Make Final Push on Eve of Elections

With just one day remaining until the June 3 local elections, candidates for Gyeonggi governor and Incheon mayor intensified their final campaign efforts, racing against the clock until midnight to sway voters.

Democratic Party candidate for Gyeonggi governor, Choo Mi-ae, navigated a packed schedule, starting in northern Uijeongbu and moving south to Seongnam and Icheon. Despite a severely hoarse voice from relentless campaigning, she urged voters to support all 31 Democratic Party candidates across Gyeonggi's cities and counties to "complete the worker's carriage." In a gesture of respect following an explosion at Hanwha Aerospace's Daejeon facility the previous day, Choo refrained from using a loudspeaker, instead engaging with citizens by shaking hands in markets.

People Power Party candidate Yang Hyang-ja pursued a unique "31 hours for 31 cities" overnight campaign. Beginning her walk at 1 a.m. in Bucheon, she appealed for votes in Gwangmyeong and Anyang. In the morning, she focused on northern Gyeonggi, promising infrastructure development in areas like Yangpyeong and Gapyeong. Yang also held a press conference at the National Assembly, strongly criticizing the Lee Jae-myung administration's ordinance to exclude the Seoul metropolitan area from semiconductor cluster development. Her campaign concluded at Dongtan Station in Hwaseong, a key hub for the K-semiconductor belt, leveraging her background as a former Samsung Electronics executive.

Incheon mayoral candidates also waged a fierce final battle across the city. Democratic Party candidate Park Chan-dae began his day with early morning greetings at Unseo Station on Yeongjong Island, highlighting tailored pledges for aviation and logistics hubs. He conducted concentrated rallies in Namdong-gu and Guwol-dong. People Power Party candidate Yoo Jeong-bok started his campaign in Namdong-gu, promising to complete the "Thousand Won Universe" and establish the "Second City of Korea" while interacting with citizens at Munhak Baseball Stadium. His campaign concluded in front of Incheon City Hall in Guwol-dong.

Candidates from smaller parties also made their final appeals. A key question remains whether the record-high early voting turnout will translate into high participation in the main election. Both major parties urged their supporters to vote, emphasizing the slogan, "If you vote, you win."