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🇰🇷 South Korea /Elections & Politics

Pyeongtaek by-election becomes five-way race as unity talks fail

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Context piece
  • Five candidates are competing in the Pyeongtaek-Eul parliamentary by-election after unity talks failed.
  • Candidates focused their final campaign efforts on Godeok New Town, a densely populated area with many young voters.
  • The election is seen as a test for the ruling and opposition parties, with candidates appealing to their respective bases.

The Pyeongtaek-Eul parliamentary by-election has become a five-way race after unity talks between opposition parties collapsed. Candidates from the Democratic Party, the People Power Party, the Rebuilding Korea Party, and the Progressive Party concentrated their final campaign efforts on Godeok New Town on April 2nd.

If I win, it will be not Kim Yong-nam's victory, but the Democratic Party's victory, and ultimately the victory of the Lee Jae-myung government.

— Kim Yong-namDemocratic Party candidate Kim Yong-nam appealing to voters on Facebook.

Godeok New Town, home to Samsung Electronics' Pyeongtaek campus, boasts the largest population in Pyeongtaek and a significant number of young residents. It also has a high proportion of undecided voters and a relatively lower voter turnout compared to other areas in Pyeongtaek, making it a crucial battleground for last-minute appeals.

If Cho Kuk wins, a strong bridge connecting the unity and integration of the pro-democracy camp will be built. I will return to the National Assembly and become the most reformist and courageous lawmaker.

— Cho KukRebuilding Korea Party candidate Cho Kuk appealing to voters during his campaign.

Kim Yong-nam of the Democratic Party emphasized his potential victory as a win for the party and the Lee Jae-myung government. Cho Kuk of the Rebuilding Korea Party positioned himself as a crucial figure for the unity and integration of the pro-democracy camp, vowing to be a reformist and courageous lawmaker. Kim Jae-yeon of the Progressive Party urged voters to establish her party as a third force, pledging to remain true to their initial goals of purging internal strife and enacting major social reforms.

Please make the Progressive Party a strong third party in the final vote. Kim Jae-yeon and the Progressive Party will not lose sight of our initial goals of purging internal strife and enacting major social reforms, and will run with all our might until the last moment.

— Kim Jae-yeonProgressive Party candidate Kim Jae-yeon rallying supporters.

Meanwhile, calls for unity between the Democratic and Progressive camps were met with continued division. Yoo Eui-dong of the People Power Party urged Hwang Kyo-ahn of the Liberty and Innovation Party to unite, even suggesting a "final unification" through votes if necessary. However, Hwang Kyo-ahn dismissed Yoo's appeal as insincere and a ploy to deceive Pyeongtaek citizens, asserting that only he could restore the conservative base in Pyeongtaek by fighting legislative overreach.

If it is ultimately difficult, please choose the 'final unification.' Unify through votes, through public sentiment.

— Yoo Eui-dongPeople Power Party candidate Yoo Eui-dong urging rival Hwang Kyo-ahn to unite.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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