Kang Kum-sil, the ruling Uri Party¡¯s candidate for Seoul mayor in the May 31 local elections started what is to be a 72-hour-long marathon election rally at midnight on Saturday. It began with a candlelight prayer before a statue of the Virgin Mary at Myeongdong Cathedral in Seoul. ¡°This is the happiest moment of my life,¡± Kang told supporters gathered there in a speech peppered with references to radical philosophy. ¡°This rally isn¡¯t just anther election stump but a sacred statement of the will to restore people¡¯s status as the subject¡± in politics. Kang also repeatedly emphasized ¡°authenticity¡± -- the ideal of being true to one's own individual identity in one's own unique way -- saying the marathon would help convey her own authenticity to Seoul residents.
 |
|
With the May 31 local election just around the corner, Seoul mayoral candidates for the Uri Party Kang Kum-sil (left) and the Grand National Party Oh Se-hoon (right) campaign in Seoul on Sunday.
|
 |
|
Not to be outdone, the Grand National Party¡¯s candidate Oh Se-hoon plans a ¡°triathlon rally¡± -- a reference to a triathlon race he completed in 2004 and a show of determination to do his best until the last minute despite his runaway lead over the other candidate in support rate. In the last three day leading up to the election, dubbed ¡°Hope¡± (Sunday), ¡°Passion¡± (Monday)¡± and ¡°Doing One¡¯s Best,¡± the main opposition party¡¯s candidate is to zip all around the capital area from dawn to midnight.
Candidates from three smaller opposition parties also stepped up their campaigns. Millennium Democratic Party candidate Park Joo-sun started a ¡°campaign trail to the people¡± that will see him use only public transport for the last three days. During the estimated 531 §° journey, Park plans to meet ¡°ordinary people.¡± Democratic Labor Party candidate Kim Jong-chul, however, declined to perform ¡°stunts¡± like the other candidates and instead plans to tour the capital with some 118 DLP party candidates for local officials and council members. Meanwhile, the People First Party¡¯s Yim Ung-kyun continues his ¡°concert rally.¡± Yim, a renowned tenor and voice professor at Korean National University of Arts, hopes to win over supporters with an all-singing, all-dancing show themed on his policies.
According to the National Election Commission, a total of 37 million people are eligible to vote, 2.3 million more than in the 2002 local election since the voting age has been lowered to 19 from 20 and foreigners with permanent residence who have lived here for more than three years are for the first time permitted to cast their ballot.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
|
