Anna Jiwon Park has been covering the politics at The Korea Times since the summer of 2024, when she joined the press pool for the Office of the President in Korea. Prior to that, she spent about five years reporting extensively on financial markets, regulatory authorities and the financial industry. She joined The Korea Times in 2019 after spending eight years as a broadcast journalist at Arirang TV, Korea’s leading global broadcaster, covering politics, defense and culture.
Presidential hopefuls target conservative heartland on Day 2 of campaigning
From left, Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party of Korea, appears in Dongtan in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province; Kim Moon-soo of the People Power Party visits in Daegu; and Lee Jun-seok of the Reform Party appears in Seoul, Monday. The three major presidential candidates rallied Tuesday in Korea’s southeastern region, known for its conservative-leaning politics. Yonhap
By Anna J. Park
Leading presidential candidates concentrated their rallies in the Daegu–North Gyeongsang Province region, widely known as the heartland of conservative politics in the country, on the second official day of campaigning Tuesday.
Long recognized as a symbolic and strategic base for conservative politics, the region is the hometown of former President Park Chung-hee, a central figure in Korea’s industrialization who was also known for his authoritarian rule. It has also produced several other conservative leaders, including Chun Doo-hwan, Roh Tae-woo, Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye.
While nearby cities like Changwon, Busan and Ulsan in South Gyeongsang Province also show strong conservative support, Daegu and North Gyeongsang stand apart with a distinct cultural identity that is even more deeply entrenched in conservative values.
The region’s steadfast support for right-leaning parties has solidified its reputation as a political bastion for the People Power Party (PPP), while posing a significant challenge to parties such as the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK). Winning over voters here remains a critical task for any candidate hoping to bridge Korea’s entrenched ideological divide.
Democratic Party of Korea presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung gives a speech at Gumi Station Plaza in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province, Tuesday. Joint Press Corps
In an effort to win over conservative voters there, DPK presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung kicked off his campaign in the city of Gumi before continuing through the nearby cities of Daegu, Pohang and Ulsan.
The tour is a strategic attempt to boost his support in a region long considered hostile to his party. In the 2022 presidential election, Lee posted some of his weakest results in this part of Korea, securing only 21.6 percent of the votes in Daegu and 23.8 percent in North Gyeongsang Province.
Speaking at a rally in front of Gumi Station, Lee emphasized national unity and sought to transcend ideological and regional divides. Attempting to reach out to conservative voters, he addressed the complex legacy of Park Chung-hee, a native of Gumi. While acknowledging Park’s human rights violations, Lee also recognized his role in Korea’s economic development.
“As a young man, I viewed him as a bad person — someone who mobilized the military, committed judicial executions, carried out torture and crushed democracy through a prolonged dictatorship,” Lee said. “But on the other hand, didn’t he also lead the country’s industrialization? If he had governed with democratic values, without human rights abuses or unconstitutional power grabs, and still made the country prosperous — wouldn’t he be universally praised?”
Lee’s comments signal a shift toward positioning himself as a leader focused on effective governance over partisan loyalty. In addition to his message of unity, he also pledged to expand regional infrastructure and invest in renewable energy development in the area.
People Power Party presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo, center, campaigns at a traditional market in Ulsan, Tuesday. Yonhap
PPP presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo also continued his campaign push through the conservative region on Tuesday, seeking to consolidate support in a key stronghold ahead of the election.
Following a rally the previous day at a bustling local market in Daegu and an overnight stay in the city, Kim began his second day of campaigning by paying respects at the grave of an anti-Japanese independence activist from the city. He then attended an event at the PPP’s Daegu chapter headquarters.
"In my youth, I opposed President Park Chung-hee,” said the labor activist-turned-conservative politician, reflecting on his evolving political views about the former leader, who seized power in a military coup in 1961. “But as I grew older, I came to realize I was wrong. I went to Park’s grave and said, ‘I once spat on your grave, but now I offer flowers in repentance.’”
Kim went on to describe Park as “a great global leader,” adding, “He was a remarkable president from the Daegu–Gyeongbuk region who eradicated poverty and led Korea through an industrial revolution to become a manufacturing powerhouse.”
Later in the day, Kim traveled to Ulsan, where he pledged robust financial and policy support for the city’s ongoing development. He vowed immediate backing for the budget proposal for Ulsan’s International Garden Expo slated in 2028 and promised comprehensive support for the region’s key industries of automotive manufacturing and shipbuilding.
Kim’s campaign strategy reflects an intent to solidify his base in the conservative bastion by reinforcing ideological loyalty and promising tangible local investments.
“World-renowned cars and ships are made right here by the people of Ulsan. When I see these products overseas, I feel a deep sense of national pride,” Kim said.
Reform Party presidential candidate Lee Jun-seok, second from right, has a meal with students at Kyungpook National University in Daegu, Tuesday. Yonhap
Reform Party presidential candidate Lee Jun-seok also spent the second day of his campaign in Daegu. He visited Kyungpook National University as part of a broader effort to highlight a new wave of leadership and present himself as a modern alternative within the conservative camp.
“The only candidate who can truly take responsibility for Daegu’s future is me,” he told a crowd of students and supporters at the university.
As the leader of a minor conservative party, Lee made a direct appeal to right-leaning voters in the region to consolidate their support behind him, instead of backing PPP candidate Kim Moon-soo.
“To stop Lee Jae-myung of the DPK from running unopposed, we must quickly unite behind a candidate favored by the younger generation, and that candidate is me,” he said. “Holding on to Kim only divides the vote and weakens the conservative front.”
He added, “A vote for Kim is a wasted vote. Only through swift and united support for me can we build the momentum needed to counter Lee Jae-myung’s dominance.”