Rivals enter last day campaign sprint

GNP’s Na tours city on foot; independent Park spends whole night campaigning in streets


The conservative and the liberal candidates for Seoul mayor were hard at last-minute campaigning Tuesday, a day before polls open.

The Grand National Party and its candidate Na Kyung-won urged conservative voters to unite and stand against the left-wing bloc, while unified liberal candidate Park Won-soon and the Democratic Party focused on ensuring a high turnout, especially among younger voters.

“I hope that the voter turnout exceeds 60 percent on Wednesday,” said Ahn Cheol-soo, Seoul National University professor, on Monday after making a campaign speech for Park.

It is thought that a rate exceeding 45 percent will favor Park.

“Only by practicing their votes may Seoul citizens deliver their voice to the administration and change the city,” said DP floor leader Rep. Kim Jin-pyo.

The GNP, meanwhile, underlined its identity as the ruling party.

“Policies are to be firmly supported by a political party in order to develop into reality,” said former GNP chairwoman Rep. Park Geun-hye during her visit to Na’s campaign headquarters on Tuesday morning.

“Party politics is one of the fundamental cores of true democracy and a value which we should safeguard through the by-elections tomorrow.”

The party floor leader Rep. Hwang Woo-yea also claimed that a non-party independent mayor would not be able to carry forward his plans and keep his campaign pledges to the people.

GNP candidate Na continued her “silent” campaign throughout Seoul until midnight when the electoral campaign period was officially closed.

She spent most of the day on a subway and bus tour around the city, starting off from Seoul Station and ending in Myeong-dong.

She then walked along Cheonggye Stream up to Seoul Plaza, where she campaigned until midnight.

“Though some of her aides suggested stepping up the intensity of the campaign, Na insisted that the key point was to remain humble and reach out to the people,” said a GNP official.

Her liberal rival Park started his last campaign day at midnight by meeting night workers in the streets.

During the morning rush hours, he canvassed the crowded Sindorim subway station area and encouraged citizens to go to the polling stations.

After visiting 10 major districts throughout the city, he then attended his supporters’ meeting at Gwanghwamun, a daily event which has been taking place since the electoral campaign kicked off.

The by-election votes to elect a new Seoul mayor and 11 heads of local wards are to take place in a total of 42 constituencies from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday.

The results are expected to come out around 11 p.m. but may be delayed in some areas, according to the National Election Commission.

The tightest races are expected to be the mayoral fights in Seoul, Chungju, and Seosan, as well for district head posts in Busan and Daegu.

The elected mayors will be in office until February 2014.

By Bae Hyun-jung (tellme@heraldcorp.com)