Parties go all out to woo voters as election day nears

Political parties are engaged in heated campaigning with less than a week left until early voting for the general elections. The ruling People Power Party (PPP) is escalating attacks on its liberal opposition the Democratic Party of Korea's (DPK) controversial candidates, while the DPK's election strategy is focused on scrutinizing the Yoon Suk Yeol administration to resonate with voters who are displeased with the government's performance.

Early voting is scheduled for Friday and Saturday, ahead of election day on April 10. Parties are actively encouraging eligible voters to participate in early voting, given the possible impact of the two-day advance voting turnout on determining actual election outcomes.

In the two parties' own analyses as reported Sunday by Newsis, the DPK anticipates victory in at least 150 electoral constituencies out of 254, while the conservative PPP expects its candidates to win in at least 80.

Taking a closer look, among the 122 constituencies covering Seoul, the surrounding Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, the DPK foresees victory in 85 — either by a significant or a slim margin. The PPP expects that it will secure wins in 24 of these districts.

Over the weekend, the PPP initiated fresh attacks against opposition candidates embroiled in real estate speculation scandals, including Yang Moon-suk, the DPK's candidate running for the Ansan-A constituency in Gyeonggi Province, and Gong Young-woon, who is running for Hwaseong-B in the same province.

In 2020, Yang's daughter, who was then a college student in her 20s, allegedly secured a bank loan of 1.1 billion won ($817,000) from the country's primary mutual financial institution MG Community Credit Cooperatives, ostensibly claiming the loan was for business purposes after registering herself as a self-employed individual. However, the funds were actually used to purchase a home in Seoul's affluent Seocho District, which is now owned by candidate Yang and his wife.

Gong, a former president of Hyundai Motor, faces allegations of transferring real estate in eastern Seoul's Seongsu-dong in 2021, initially valued at 1.18 billion won, to his 23-year-old son who was fulfilling his mandatory military duty at that time. The property's value has since more than doubled to 3 billion won. The PPP suspects that Gong was aware of the potential price surge, as Hyundai affiliate Hyundai Steel announced plans to relocate a major factory to the Seongsu area shortly after Gong purchased the real estate in 2017.

The PPP urged the DPK to make appropriate decisions about these two candidates, in an apparent message for them to drop out.

In response, both candidates acknowledged that their actions may not align with the public's expectations, but denied engaging in any illicit activities.

Yang said on Saturday that he would sue several media outlets for falsely framing the issue as "loan fraud," arguing that his family's actions technically harmed no one.

During a canvassing event in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, Sunday, PPP interim leader Han Dong-hoon took a jab at Yang, saying: "(His) loan scam has harmed innocent people. The funds should have gone to small business owners who really needed them. Yang Moon-suk should sue me first to find out who is wrong."

The DPK has maintained a low-key response to the controversies, saying that the issues should be addressed by the candidates themselves, in an apparent attempt to prevent them from dampening the party's overall election campaign.

The liberal party has been intensifying its election strategy of highlighting the flaws of the incumbent administration, aiming to persuade voters why it is crucial for the National Assembly to remain under opposition control.

The Rebuilding Korea Party, a liberal party led by former Justice Minister Cho Kuk, is also mounting a similar but more assertive election campaign challenging the Yoon government. The newly launched party has garnered a support rate of over 20 percent in multiple polls, moving closer within its goal of securing 10 seats through the proportional representation system.

"Everything has become chaotic since the Yoon administration took power — politics, the economy and national security. The cartel formed by Yoon, first lady Kim Keon Hee and PPP leader Han Dong-hoon has brought ruin to the country," Cho said during a campaign event in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, Sunday.

Government-doctor standoff

Aside from the parties' rigorous campaigns, analysts suggest that the intensifying conflict between the government and doctors could significantly impact the election results.

More than a month has passed since thousands of trainee doctors nationwide initiated a mass resignation movement in protest of the government's proposal to increase the medical school admissions quota by 2,000 seats per year. The Korean Medical Association (KMA), the largest doctors' lobby group, is threatening to disrupt the campaigns of election candidates who have been promoting misleading stereotypes about the doctors on strike.

The Yoon administration has maintained a steadfast stance, asserting that there will be no compromise on the number of admission slots. But doctors are vehemently protesting against forming any negotiation channels before the government demonstrates a willingness to reduce the quota change.

"If the government retreats from its stance of 2,000 slots, the public may perceive it as making yet another concession to the doctors and provide grounds for criticism, which would be an unfavorable development for the PPP. Should the government find a breakthrough to the situation, it could sway voters toward the governing party," political commentator Park Sang-byeong said.