Rival parties make last-minute pitches in Seoul metropolitan area

Main opposition Democratic Party of Korea Chairman Lee Jae-myung, right, shakes hands with people while canvassing in Jongno District, Seoul, Monday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

Rival parties intensified efforts to appeal to voters in the pivotal swing battlegrounds of Seoul, surrounding Gyeonggi Province, and Incheon on Monday, just two days before the general elections take place to elect 300 lawmakers for the 22nd National Assembly.

Among the 300 seats, 254 are selected from electoral constituencies, and both the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and the ruling People Power Party (PPP) predict that 50 to 55 districts are highly contested. Of these closely contested races, 20 according to the DPK's prediction and 26 according to the PPP's prediction are in the Seoul metropolitan area.

With these forecasts in mind, the leaders of both the DPK and the PPP have focused their time and resources on the Seoul metropolitan area.

During a canvassing event in Seoul's Dongjak-B constituency, DPK Chairman Lee Jae-myung emphasized that voters should hold the ruling bloc accountable "for pursuing personal gains with the power and taxes granted by the people, which has led to the deterioration of the country's economy and the erosion of democracy."

This marks the eighth visit to the constituency by the main opposition party leader, which is one of the highly contested districts, since the DPK commenced its election campaigns last month. Apart from his own constituency of Gyeyang-B in Incheon, Dongjak-B is the constituency Lee has visited most frequently.

He also toured several other swing districts in Seoul, including Jongno, where he made last-minute pitches to voters.

"What [the Yoon Suk Yeol administration] does is suppress and investigate someone while vetoing everything that the DPK proposes," Lee said. "Has anyone seen an administration veto this many bills in the country's history?"

Since taking office, Yoon rejected nine contentious bills that passed the opposition-controlled Assembly, the most by a president in history.

People Power Party interim leader Han Dong-hoon, left, speaks while canvassing in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, Monday. Yonhap

On the other hand, PPP interim chief Han Dong-hoon, who toured battleground constituencies in Gyeonggi Province, said, "The nation will regret it if we fail to stop those criminals now," referring to Lee and the Rebuilding Korea Party head Cho Kuk. The two are undergoing trials regarding their individual corruption allegations.

"When the opposition bloc secures more than 200 [out of 300 Assembly seats], they will not stop at impeaching the president. They will amend the Constitution to exonerate Lee and Cho," he said during a canvassing event in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province.

Han's remarks came as public opinion surveys indicate a high likelihood of the liberal opposition bloc securing more seats than the PPP. In some extreme scenarios, opposition parties may even secure more than 200 seats.

Lee Jung-mi, then acting chief justice of the Constitutional Court, reads a judgment during the impeachment trial of former President Park Geun-hye at the court in Jongno District, Seoul, March 10, 2017. Korea Times photo by Wang Tae-seog

In Korea, the Assembly has the authority to approve constitutional amendments, impeach the president, and override presidential vetoes against certain bills when there is approval from two-thirds of registered lawmakers.

Since 1973, there has not been a single instance of a political party securing more than two-thirds of the country's parliament in elections.

In 1990, the Democratic Liberal Party secured 217 seats as a result of a three-way merger between the ruling party and two opposition parties. However, this powerful status was lost in the subsequent general elections in 1992.

Pundits suggest that the PPP seems to be employing a strategy emphasizing fear to appeal to swing voters and conservative supporters. This approach stems from the slim chances of the DPK securing more than 200 seats on its own, making impeachment of the president and amending the Constitution unrealistic goals.

Impeaching a sitting president necessitates a judgment from the Constitutional Court, while amending the Constitution requires a national referendum. These processes are beyond the capability of a single party to achieve independently.

However, annulling a presidential veto is more realistic, because the Assembly can pass a bill despite the veto if two-thirds of lawmakers re-approve it.

Regarding the PPP's appeal based on the 200-seat scenario, DPK campaign committee co-chair Kim Boo-kyum criticized the ruling party, stating that they should "stop being a crybaby."

Kim said, "The current odds stand at 51 to 49, and historically, there has never been an election where one side overwhelmingly dominated the other."