With one day remaining before the June 3 local elections, Democratic Party candidate Kim Kyoung-soo and People Power Party candidate Park Wan-su, both running for South Gyeongsang Province governor, made last-minute appeals to voters on Monday. Both candidates chose Changwon as the venue for their final campaign day.
Kim began his day at 7 a.m. at the entrance of Anmin Tunnel in Jinhae-gu, Changwon, greeting commuters in a raincoat. He then traveled to Gimhae for a tour of greetings before delivering evening commute greetings at the Homeplus intersection in Sahwa-dong, Uichang-gu, Changwon, and meeting with residents at Yongji Lake Park in Changwon. Kim held his final rally at 8:30 p.m. at the Changwon City Hall intersection in Yongho-dong, Seongsan-gu, Changwon, and will conclude his official campaign at 11 p.m. at Changwon Jungang Station.
"This election is about deciding whether to move toward the future or return to the past," Kim said. "Please choose the future of Gyeongnam."
He added, "The 7th popularly elected local government overcame the dual crisis of China's manufacturing downturn and COVID-19, returning the Gyeongnam economy to growth, but the Gyeongnam economy has recently fallen back into negative growth. We need a capable governor who can revive the Gyeongnam economy and the lives of its residents."
He also said, "To revitalize the regions, the central and local governments must join forces. We need a strong governor who can work in step with President Lee Jae-myung, who emphasizes locally led growth."
Park began his schedule with morning commute greetings near Pallyong Tunnel in Changwon, touring the Masan Free Trade Zone and Naeseo-eup in Hoewon-gu, and Wolyeong-dong in Masanhappo-gu, where he raised his voice on the need to keep the current administration in check. Together with Changwon mayoral candidate Kang Ki-yoon, Park held a "finale rally" at 7:30 p.m. at Bunsu Plaza in Sangnam-dong, the area's busiest district with heavy foot traffic, seeking to rally conservative voters.
"Power that ignores the constitution and the law, and power that goes unchecked, is dictatorial power," Park said. "The People Power Party is keeping it in check, but as we are outmatched, we must at least defend local power in this local election."
He continued, "This election is about not repeating the Gyeongnam provincial administration that was shaken by mid-term resignations and withdrawals, and instead making the next four years an era of great leap based on the achievements of the Park Wan-su administration, which has worked solely for the residents over the past four years. The choice is whether to return to a failed administration or to complete Gyeongnam's great leap based on the successful Park Wan-su administration."
He also urged voters, saying, "If you do not vote in tomorrow's main election, we could lose. The hours from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. tomorrow are most important, so please urge your family, neighbors, friends and coworkers to vote."
The two candidates chose Changwon as their final campaign venue because 30 percent (855,946) of the province's total eligible voters (2,775,745) are concentrated there. Notably, the Democratic Party won both the governor and Changwon mayor races in the 7th nationwide local elections in 2018, while the People Power Party reclaimed both posts in the 8th nationwide local elections in 2022, drawing attention to the outcome of this election.
