Parties in final showdown with calls for judgment on 'incompetent' gov't, 'shameless' opposition

Election officials check ballot counting machines at a ballot counting station in Suwon, April 8. Yonhap

Heated last-minute electioneering unfolded on the eve of the parliamentary elections Tuesday, with the ruling party denouncing the scandal-ridden opposition as "shameless" and the main opposition party slamming the government for mismanaging the economy and other state affairs.

Wednesday's general elections are to pick 300 new members of the National Assembly, with 254 of them to be selected through direct elections and the remaining 46 proportional representation seats to be allocated to parties according to the number of votes they receive overall.

On the final day of the 13-day official campaign period, the ruling People Power Party (PPP) implored potential voters for support, intensifying criticism of opposition leader Lee Jae-myung and Cho Kuk, a former justice minister who formed a minor party, both facing criminal trials for various charges.

Han Dong-hoon, leader of People Power Party, delivers a camgaign speech in Gangdong District, Seoul, April 9. Yonhap

"I heard Chairman Lee shed tears in front of a court," Han Dong-hoon, leader of the PPP, said during his campaign trail at some of the most-fiercely contested battlegrounds in Seoul, suggesting that Lee's tears were not a display of remorse for his actions but a disingenuous attempt to save himself.

The quadrennial race holds added importance for the PPP, as a failure to regain a majority could potentially render President Yoon Suk Yeol a lame duck for the remaining three years of his single five-year term, ending in 2027.

Recent predictions have shown that the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) is likely to win a parliamentary majority, with some even suggesting that the party could win more than 200 seats, a two-thirds threshold that gives the party enough power to override presidential vetoes and even impeach the president.

"Please give us a minimum number of seats that we can use to keep this immoral and shameless opposition in check," Han said. "Overwhelming support on Election Day is needed to prevent the Republic of Korea from falling into a state of decline."

He is scheduled to visit 14 competitive districts in the capital.

Han will then conclude his campaigning by joining other party members in central Seoul, alongside American Korean medical doctor Ihn Yohan, who previously served as the PPP innovation committee chief.

Observers view the 48 constituencies in Seoul as the primary battlegrounds that will ultimately determine the election outcome. Data suggests that the results in Seoul often mirror the overall election results.

The DPK urged voters to deliver a stern judgment on what it calls the "incompetent" Yoon administration, accusing it of significantly worsening the economy and people's livelihoods and mishandling a series of controversial issues over the past two years.

Since its inauguration in May 2022, the Yoon administration has faced various obstacles in advancing its agenda, such as on tax and labor reform bills, in the DPK-controlled parliament.

Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung speaks to reporters before attending a court hearing at the Seoul Central District Court, April 9. Yonhap

DPK leader Lee focused his last campaign efforts on key battlegrounds in the wider Seoul area, emphasizing the need to hold Yoon accountable for mismanaging the country.

"Please vote to prevent the political force that has betrayed the people from attaining a parliamentary majority," Lee said before attending a hearing at the Seoul Central District Court on corruption charges related to two development projects in Seongnam, south of Seoul, launched during his term as the city's mayor.

Lee further claimed that the Yoon government has caused regression in all aspects of the country, including the economy, livelihoods, diplomacy, national security and democracy.

"Unable to curb prices as it is supposed to, the Yoon Suk Yeol government is only attempting to strike down political enemies and opposition forces," Lee said.

Earlier, Lee visited Incheon, west of Seoul, where he is running for a seat in the Gyeyang constituency.

The Gyeonggi and Incheon regions, which together have some 75 seats at stake, are considered a stronghold for the DPK.

At the end of the day, Lee will join other party members for the last official campaign event at Yongsan Station in central Seoul, near the presidential office. (Yonhap)