One day before the June 3 local elections, People Power Party Busan mayoral candidate Park Heong-jun made a final push to rally his support base, putting government checks and balances and grand conservative unity at the forefront of his campaign. He framed the election not as a mere selection of local government leaders, but as the first nationwide public sentiment assessment since the launch of the Lee Jae-myung administration, emphasizing Busan as the "last bastion of conservatism."
Park held a press conference at the Busan Metropolitan Council on Monday, stating, "In this election, we must check the unilateralism and reckless drive of the Lee Jae-myung government." He added, "We must defend Busan, the last bastion of the Nakdong River front." He further appealed for voter turnout and support, saying, "Each citizen's vote will determine the future of Busan and the future of democracy in the Republic of Korea."
The message, delivered on the final day of the campaign, is interpreted as both a wrap-up of the past two weeks of campaigning and a final-stretch effort to rally conservative voters. Park began his campaign on May 21 by boarding a late-night bus and has since focused on engaging with citizens across Busan.
"As the campaign progressed, I felt firsthand the growing enthusiasm of citizens' support on the ground," he stressed. "I now have strong confidence in victory."
Park particularly cited his administrative achievements over the past five years as the core basis for his bid for re-election. "I was able to confirm the results of change throughout Busan," Park said. "Busan as a global city, where investment is rising, jobs are being created, and opportunities are opening up for young people, is no longer a dream but is becoming a reality."
He continued his sharp criticism of his rival candidate and the ruling bloc. "We cannot entrust the future to an incompetent candidate who habitually lies at this critical time when Busan is taking off," he said, effectively targeting Democratic Party candidate Jeon Jae-soo.
Park also concentrated on political offensives against the Democratic Party and President Lee Jae-myung. Citing various pieces of legislation being pushed by the Democratic Party, Park argued, "We must sound the alarm against the self-righteousness and unilateralism of power that is pushing through judicial degradation and even an unconstitutional special prosecutor act for indictment withdrawal." He also took issue with the president's voting process. "Saying that it doesn't matter even after violating the principle of secret ballot is an arrogant notion that he is above the law and different from the people," he criticized. "The president is not the head of a particular party's election committee."
What drew attention was his open mention of plans to restructure the conservative camp after the election. "The end of division is defeat," Park said. "After the election, I will once again take the lead in conservative unity and reform." Referring to his experience participating in the conservative unity process in 2019-2020, he also highlighted that he is the right person to lead the conservative restructuring.
Concluding the press conference, Park appealed, "Busan, the city that took to the streets shouting for democracy, must check the unilateralism and reckless drive of the Lee Jae-myung government and crush the privatization of power in this election. Please be sure to vote."
