Busan has emerged as a political stage for current and former presidents ahead of the June 3 local elections. President Lee Jae-myung visited the city for two consecutive days on a livelihood tour, former President Park Geun-hye joined the People Power Party's (PPP) campaign rally, and former President Lee Myung-bak is set to visit on May 31, turning the Busan mayoral race into a microcosm of national politics.
The ruling and opposition parties are clashing head-on over the back-to-back visits by current and former presidents. However, observers inside and outside political circles note that support from presidential-level figures does not necessarily translate into electoral victory.
According to political sources on May 30, President Lee visited Jagalchi Market on May 26 and then attended the Day of the Sea ceremony in Yeongdo District on May 27 before stopping by Namhang Market. He focused on livelihood and economic activities, emphasizing expanded investment in the southeastern region and balanced regional development.
The PPP characterized the visits as a de facto abuse of state power for electoral purposes. The party argued that consecutive visits to traditional markets and neighborhood commercial districts just a week before the election amounted to political moves aimed at boosting the ruling party's candidate. With the Busan mayoral race remaining tight to the end, the PPP criticized the president's on-site activities as inviting controversy over electoral neutrality.
The presidential office countered that the visits were routine schedules to inspect the regional economy and livelihood conditions. The Democratic Party also rebutted the criticism as a political offensive, saying, "The president's livelihood activities cannot be restricted simply because an election is approaching."
On the same day, former President Park Geun-hye visited Gijang Market in Busan to support PPP Busan mayoral candidate Park Heong-joon. Having recently visited Daegu, the Chungcheong region, and Ulsan and South Gyeongsang Province in succession, Park is seen as playing a symbolic role in rallying conservative supporters.
The Democratic Party criticized the move as regressive politics for putting an impeached former president at the forefront of the election, while the PPP countered that political expression and support activities by former presidents are a natural part of the democratic process.
On May 31, former President Lee Myung-bak is also set to visit Busan. As a result, Busan has emerged as a region of nationwide interest where the political influence of three current and former presidents is being tested simultaneously.
Political analysts noted that while presidential regional tours have historically sparked controversies over abuse of state power during election seasons, this time the current president's livelihood activities and former presidents' campaign rallies have combined to elevate the situation beyond simple regional visits into a power contest between political camps.
Still, some inside and outside political circles argue that support from current and former presidents does not necessarily lead to electoral victory. In past local and general elections, support rallies by sitting presidents or influential politicians have often backfired. Especially in local elections, where regional issues and candidate competitiveness are key variables, the impact of visits by presidential-level figures may be limited.
In fact, ahead of the 2021 Busan mayoral by-election, then-President Moon Jae-in visited the planned site for the Gadeokdo New Airport to personally address regional issues. At the time, the PPP strongly protested the visit as "blatant electoral support," but the election ended in a landslide victory for candidate Park Heong-joon.
Former President Yoon Suk Yeol also toured the country ahead of the 22nd general election in 2024, holding livelihood debates and personally addressing regional issues. While interpretations followed that he was seeking to boost the ruling party by emphasizing his commitment to long-pending regional projects and national initiatives, the PPP suffered a crushing defeat in the general election.
A local political insider said, "Visits by presidential-level figures often serve to rally the support base rather than serving as a decisive variable that changes the electoral landscape. At the actual polling stations, regional issues and candidate competitiveness often have a greater impact."
Citizens' reactions were also mixed. One resident said, "Among past presidents, visiting traditional markets for two consecutive days right before an election amounts to blatant electoral interference." Another said, "It is questionable how much help campaign support from a former president who was impeached will provide."
