PPP candidate Kim Moon-soo kicks off uphill presidential election, stressing livelihoods and economy

Up next after an eventful weekend the conservative camp is rallying behind its candidate Kim Moon-soo who opened his campaign at an open market also here in Seoul.

For more I have our correspondent Kim Do-yeon standing by live.

Do-yeon it's good to have you on.

Now you are currently in Daegu?

That's right, Sun-hee I'm currently at Seomun Market in Daegu a conservative stronghold where Kim is set to arrive momentarily.

Kim when he arrives will first meet with shoppers and storekeepers here and appear on the stage behind me afterwards.

As you said, it's quite a distance.

Kim started early, earlier than his rival in fact, at 5 AM of the first day of the official campaign period at Garak Market an agricultural wholesale market in southern Seoul.

This is to show his motivation in improving the livelihoods of working-class people, according to him, and this market is where wholesale and retail, sellers and consumers come together, starting from the early hours.

The message is actually very important, as that is one of the main themes of his campaign.

Take a listen.

"I really need to become a market president. A president for livelihoods. Also, a president for the economy. I think I need to become a president who improves living in South Korea."

After this, he was at the campaign headquarters to hold a campaign committee meeting.

After that, Kim held a strategy meeting, then began his journey south—stopping at the Daejeon National Cemetery.

There, he emphasized honoring those who gave their lives for the country—something he says lies at the core of his political philosophy.

Do-yeon a market president is a key message for his campaign and it's a part of his top 10 pledges.

Do tell us more.

That's right, Sun-hee.

First, as you heard from Ha-young as well, presidential candidates handed in their top 10 campaign pledges.

The first one on the list for Kim is free markets, to make the nation a good place to run a business.

The second one for him is growing AI capacities and the third is focused on helping the younger generations to grow.

Now, this ties into the fact that Kim named a 34-year-old freshman lawmaker to lead the party as the chair of the emergency committee.

Kim Yong-tae has been picked and is now among seven campaign committee chairs.

While he was being awarded with certification, he said, as a young politician, he apologizes for what happened in he past five months.

The People Power Party must acknowledge its faults: that the martial law declared by the president it produced was wrong; that the party failed to hold him properly accountable for his misguided pursuit of personal satisfaction; that it failed to achieve genuine cooperative governance with the president before this constitutional amendment came about.

Of course, the change in party leadership comes after Kwon Young-se's resignation following the merger between Kim and independent candidate Han Duck-soo falling through.

That's all for now. Back to you, Sun-hee.