Jeon Jae-su's “Ruling Party Worker” vs Park Hyung-joon's “Check on the Administration”: All-Out Battle in Final Stage of Busan Mayoral Election

As the Busan mayoral election approaches its final stage, Jeon Jae-su, the Democratic Party candidate, and Park Hyung-joon, the People Power Party candidate, are making every effort to consolidate their support bases.

Both sides, which had focused on appealing to moderates and undecided voters in the early stages of the campaign, are now concentrating on maximizing voter turnout among their supporters by issuing an “all-hands-on-deck mobilization order” ahead of election day.

In political circles, it is widely believed that in the final days of an election, the ability to bring one’s supporters to the polls often determines the outcome, rather than policy competition.

Throughout the campaign, Jeon has promoted his image as a “powerful ruling party mayor” and a “working mayor who can secure budget funds.” He continues to campaign in traditional markets and local commercial districts, emphasizing his ability to resolve local issues through cooperation with the central government.

Jeon Jae-su of the Democratic Party of Korea and Park Hyung-joon, the People Power Party candidate for mayor of Busan, attended the Buddha's Birthday celebration ceremony at Beomeosa Temple in Busan on the 24th of last month. [Image source=Yonhap News]

The Democratic Party’s Busan campaign headquarters is also focusing on encouraging voter turnout by leveraging its organizational strength. They have launched initiatives such as a “call your acquaintances” campaign to mobilize supporter votes and consolidate their base in the final stretch.

On May 30, ahead of former President Lee Myung-bak’s visit to Busan on the 31st, Jeon’s camp held an emergency press conference, directly criticizing both Park and Lee by stating, “It is contradictory for those responsible for downgrading Busan’s status by abolishing the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries to talk about the future once again.” The strategy is to portray Park’s efforts to rally conservatives as a “return to old politics,” heighten supporters’ sense of crisis, and stir anti-opposition sentiment.

Park Hyung-joon, the People Power Party candidate, has ramped up his offensive in the final stage of the campaign, placing the notion of “checking the government” at the forefront. Moving beyond his initial emphasis on administrative experience, he is now appealing to conservatives by stating, “We must stop the reckless behavior of an arrogant and runaway administration with a victory in Busan.”

The core of Park’s strategy is the complete unification of the conservative camp. Following former President Park Geun-hye’s visit on the 27th and former President Lee Myung-bak’s visit on the 31st, Park’s camp has highlighted these events as evidence that Park Hyung-joon is the right person to unify conservatives and drive innovation. Their strategy is to ensure that supporters who did not participate in early voting are mobilized to vote on election day.

By putting the notion of “checking the government” at the forefront, Park is now delivering a focused message that “checks and balances on the government and ruling party are necessary,” in addition to his previous emphasis on city administration achievements and experience.

The People Power Party is also pouring its efforts into consolidating the conservative bloc. With the visits of both former President Park Geun-hye and former President Lee Myung-bak to Busan, there is growing anticipation that this will further rally conservative voters.

In addition, Park has continued his “Walking Among the Public” campaign, which began on the 21st of last month, directly engaging with citizens through grassroots outreach. He has met with young people, seniors, small business owners, and workers, listening to local issues and livelihood concerns, and conducting a field-oriented campaign.

Political analysts note that both candidates are now focused on consolidating their support bases as the central strategy for the campaign’s final stretch. However, while Jeon emphasizes the ruling party advantage and his ability to push policies, Park is putting more weight on the need for checks on the administration and unifying conservatives, highlighting the differences between the two approaches.

A local political insider commented, “This election is becoming more of a competition over turnout among existing supporters rather than a contest to win over new support bases. Final-stage voter mobilization and managing unforeseen variables will be the key factors in determining the outcome.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.