South Korea: DP's Lee, PPP's Kim vie for votes in crucial battleground

Seoul, May 20 South Korea's Democratic Party (DP) candidate Lee Jae-myung and People Power Party (PPP) candidate Kim Moon-soo were set for their campaign rallies in the greater Seoul area, as they seek to reach out to centrist voters.

With just two weeks until the June 3 presidential election, Lee will crisscross Gyeonggi Province, while Kim will appeal to voters in Seoul.

The greater Seoul area is home to about half of the 52 million-person population, reports Yonhap news agency.

This makes it a key battleground in the election to pick a successor to former President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was ousted over his failed martial law bid.

In various opinion polls, Lee was ahead of Kim. A Realmeter survey released this week showed that Lee garnered 50.2 per cent support, trailed by Kim with 35.6 per cent and Lee Jun-seok of the minor New Reform Party with 8.7 per cent.

Lee of the DP will kick off the day by holding virtual talks with Korean expatriates living abroad to encourage overseas voting, which takes place for a week starting Tuesday.

He will then head to Uijeongbu and Goyang, on the northern outskirts of Seoul, before visiting the border regions of Paju and Gimpo in Gyeonggi.

Lee previously served as the governor of Gyeonggi Province from 2018 to 2021.

The PPP's Kim will continue his campaign to woo swing voters in the key battleground of Seoul.

He will start off the day by signing an agreement with the Federation of Artistic and Cultural Organizations of Korea in the western ward of Yangcheon to promote the arts sector.

He will then visit a traditional market in Gangseo in southern Seoul and meet with "jjokbang" residents, or those living in tiny rooms often found in shantytowns, in Yeongdeungpo to learn about their challenges and vulnerable living conditions.

Kim will later travel to the southeastern parts of Seoul, including Seocho, Songpa, Gangdong, and Hanam in Gyeonggi Province.

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