Official campaigning kicks off; no progress in Yoon-Ahn coalition

Ruling Democratic Party of Korea presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung poses during his public speech in Daegu, Tuesday, the first day of the official campaign period for the March 9 presidential election. Joint Press Corps

Lee highlights pragmatism to appeal to swing voters; Yoon lashes out at 'incompetent' ruling party

By Nam Hyun-woo

The official campaign period for the March 9 presidential election began on Tuesday, with candidates and their supporters now allowed to use campaign trucks, leaflets, placards and other campaign items to woo voters.

Rival candidates of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) spent the first day of the official campaign period traveling cross-country from Seoul to Busan, with DPK candidate Lee Jae-myung stressing pragmatism and bipartisanship and the PPP's Yoon Suk-yeol highlighting the necessity of leadership change.

According to the National Election Commission, the campaign period will last for 22 days until March 8.

During the period, candidates are allowed to use campaign vehicles and audio systems for public speeches, wear campaign uniforms and spread leaflets and other documents related to their campaign. Staffers at their camps are also allowed to engage in canvassing.

Lee started his official campaign with a public speech in the southern port city of Busan, a conservative stronghold, stressing bipartisanship in his policies. He then visited Daegu, also on the home turf of conservatives, as well as the more centrist Daejeon, before heading up to Seoul to wind up the first day of campaigning.

"If there's a good policy, I will adopt it even if it is proposed by Hong Joon-pyo or Park Chung-hee, and that is pragmatism," Lee said. "It doesn't matter the policy is from the left or right. If it benefits the public, I will do whatever it takes."

Rep. Hong Joon-pyo was the primary rival of PPP's Yoon. Park Chung-hee is the former conservative president who had been in office from 1961 to 1979 and is remembered for his dual legacy of authoritarianism and human rights abuses, as well as Korea's dramatic rise from the world's poorest country to one of the economic powerhouses of Asia.

"I will change the people's lives by putting an emphasis on the economy," Lee said. "I will become the commander-in-chief to overcome the current crisis and make Korea one of the top five economies of the world, as well as bringing people's hearts together, rather than dividing them with hatred."

In recent weeks, Lee has striving to highlight pragmatism, floating the idea of a bipartisan government ― a coalition with every political group that intends for political changes and public unity. This is seen as an apparent bid to appeal to centrist and swing voters, amid a neck-and-neck race with Yoon in surveys.

In a survey released Monday by Kantar Korea, Yoon was ahead of the pack with a 38.8 percent support rate, followed by Lee with 33.2 percent. The survey, conducted in collaboration with the Chosun Ilbo newspaper and broadcaster TV Chosun, questioned 1,010 adults from Feb. 12 to 13. The margin of error was plus or minus 3.1 percentage points. Further details of the survey are available on the website of the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission.

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Main opposition People Power Party presidential candidate Yoon Suk-yeol makes hand gestures showing his candidate No.2 during a public speech in Daejeon, Tuesday. Joint Press Corps

Yoon started campaigning in Seoul and moved in the opposite direction from Lee, visiting Daejeon, Daegu and Busan.

"The country is collapsing under the corrupt and incapable DPK government. Are you going to watch this without doing anything?" Yoon said during his speech at a plaza in downtown Seoul. "We should hand down a stern judgment on the DPK administration."

Yoon also underscored his campaign pledge to relocate the presidential office, calling for the "Gwanghwamun era," his name for a plan to relocate the presidential office from Cheong Wa Dae into the Government Complex in Gwanghwamun.

"Presidential power is limited but presidential responsibility is unlimited, and I will not forget this," Yoon said. "I will end the Cheong Wa Dae era, during which the presidential office reigned above the people, and open the Gwanghwamun era."

People's Party presidential candidate Ahn Cheol-soo speaks during a public speech in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province, Tuesday. Courtesy of People's Party

Justice Party presidential candidate Sim Sang-jung makes hand gestures to show her candidate No.3 during a public speech in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, Tuesday. Yonhap

Ahn Cheol-soo of the People's Party and Sim Sang-jung of the Justice Party also began their official campaigns by visiting major cities of the country.

Centrist Ahn visited Daegu as his first stop, in an apparent bid to appeal to conservative voters before talks on forming a single candidacy with Yoon. Progressive Sim visited Iksan and Jeonju, both in the liberal stronghold of North Jeolla Province, to begin her official campaign.

Though the contenders kicked off their official campaign activities, Ahn's proposal of a merging candidacies with Yoon is showing no signs of noticeable progress.

During his visit to Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province, Ahn demanded Yoon reply, saying "I am waiting for Yoon's answer."

"Since I made the offer as a presidential candidate, the PPP's presidential candidate should give an answer," Ahn said.

The No. 3 candidate on Sunday offered the idea of selecting a candidate between him and Yoon based on public opinion polls, adding he will not consider any other means in forming a single candidacy. According to Ahn's campaign chief Rep. Lee Tae-kyu, the People's Party has set Wednesday as a deadline.

However, Yoon has yet to respond directly to Ahn's proposal.