Oh Se-hoon, the People Power Party (PPP) candidate for Seoul mayor, visited Garak Market as his first campaign stop at midnight on the 21st, the moment official campaigning began for the June 3 local elections. "I will build a Seoul where those who work with sweat are respected," Oh said, vowing to win the race.
At midnight, Oh visited the Vegetable Building No. 2 at the Garak-dong Agricultural and Marine Products Wholesale Market in Songpa-gu, Seoul, where he greeted merchants working through the night. After watching merchants trim vegetables and prepare shipments, Oh put on gloves and helped carry cabbages himself.
"The Garak-dong Agricultural and Marine Products Wholesale Market is where the lives of Seoul citizens begin," he said. "I realized that we can carry on our daily lives because there are merchants who light up Seoul's night until dawn." He added, "Many self-employed people are in difficult situations. I wanted to start my campaign by sharing with Seoul citizens the fact that Seoul's economy keeps running thanks to those who quietly devote themselves to their livelihoods." He also said, "I will work hard to open a bright future for Seoul together with those who build up the city's economy."
PPP leadership, including party chairman Jang Dong-hyuk, did not attend the event. The scene contrasted with that of Jung Won-oh, the Democratic Party of Korea candidate for Seoul mayor, who began his first campaign stop at the same hour accompanied by Democratic Party leader Jung Cheong-rae and floor lawmakers. For his first stop after the official campaign began, Jang visited the hunger strike site of Yang Hyang-ja, the PPP candidate for Gyeonggi governor, who has been protesting at Samsung Electronics' Pyeongtaek campus in Gyeonggi Province to call for a grand labor-management compromise.
Candidates from both ruling and opposition parties will go all out to secure voter support over the next 13 days, until June 2. Starting with Garak Market, Oh will tour all of Seoul to court voters in earnest. Beginning with a campaign-launch message in Gangbuk-gu in the morning, he plans to visit markets and hold street rallies across major districts including Seodaemun, Yeongdeungpo, Guro, Seongbuk, and Dongdaemun. In the evening, he will hold a campaign launch ceremony at Cheonggye Plaza in Jongno.
