Final Election Committee Meetings Urge Voters: Ruling Party Calls for "Democracy to Bloom" vs. Opposition Seeks "Check on Runaway Power"

Jung Cheongrae: "A Right Secured by the Sacrifice and Dedication of the People"

Jang Donghyuk: "Do Not Give Up Your Vote"... Live Broadcast in the Afternoon

On the 3rd, the day of the 9th nationwide simultaneous local elections, both the ruling and opposition parties held their final Central Election Countermeasures Committee meetings and urged voter participation. The Democratic Party of Korea emphasized making democracy flourish through high voter turnout, while the People Power Party called for voting to put a stop to what they described as the runaway administration of President Lee Jaemyung.

On the 3rd, the voting day of the 9th nationwide simultaneous local elections, voters are casting their ballots at Namchuncheon Middle School, which has been set up as the No. 1 polling station in Gangnam-dong, Chuncheon City, Gangwon Province. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

Jung Cheongrae, Chief Standing Election Countermeasures Committee Chair of the Democratic Party, held a campaign committee meeting at the National Assembly on the morning of the same day and said, "Let us make the flower of democracy bloom even more through active voter participation."

Chairman Jung stated, "Korean democracy was built upon the efforts of the people who fought for and safeguarded the right to vote. After the 3·15 rigged election, we took to the streets to recover the stolen right to vote, and in 1987, we won the direct presidential election system through the June Struggle against military dictatorship. The vote we cast today is a right preserved by the blood, sweat, sacrifice, and dedication of countless citizens."

He added, "Each and every mighty and powerful vote can change the lives of you and your family, advance our local community, and open up a brighter future for Korea. Just one vote can change the winner, alter local policies, and transform the future of our community."

He further emphasized, "Looking back on the past six local elections, there have been as many as seven cases where two candidates received the same number of votes in a region and the older candidate was declared the winner, and there have been 13 cases where the outcome was decided by a single vote. This demonstrates that the weight of your individual vote is never insignificant."

Chairman Jung plans to monitor the results of exit polls and ballot counting from the ballot counting situation room set up at the National Assembly, starting from 6 p.m., when voting ends on this day.

On the same day, Jang Donghyuk, Chief Standing Election Countermeasures Committee Chair of the People Power Party, also held the final Central Election Countermeasures Committee meeting at the National Assembly and appealed for voter participation, saying, "Not voting gives the arrogant President Lee Jaemyung an opportunity to escape judgment."

Chairman Jang said, "Lee Jaemyung blatantly disregarded the obligation to remain neutral during the presidential election and campaigned across the country. He even took his marked ballot out of the polling booth and waved it in front of the cameras. Every night, he incited people to vote for the Democratic Party under the guise of encouraging voter turnout."

He continued, "Each and every one of these acts constitutes a serious illegal activity warranting impeachment. It is the height of arrogance to believe that, with control over the government, the National Assembly, and the judiciary, no one can hold him accountable."

He went on to say, "We must stop Lee Jaemyung's arrogance and lawless rampage. The Korean people must step up and keep him in check."

Earlier in the day, Chairman Jang cast his ballot in the main vote in his own constituency of Boryeong, South Chungcheong Province. In the afternoon, he plans to appear in a live broadcast at the central party headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, together with floor leader Song Eon-seok, to make a public appeal for voter participation. After the main voting ends at 6 p.m., he intends to monitor the exit poll results and regional ballot counting from the ballot counting situation room at the central party headquarters.

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