DP's Lee again visits Gyeongsangnam-do Province; expectations grow over possible meeting with fmr. Pres. Moon

We are now counting down from 12 days to the presidential election.

The main liberal party contender today toured Jeju and Gyeongsangnam-do Province.

There, he addressed policies tailored for the regions.

Our Shin Ha-young reports.

Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung wrapped up his Thursday campaign in the city of Yangsan in Gyeongsangnam-do Province, which the DP describes as a city with strong potential to become a global logistics hub, thanks to its location and ability to adapt to changing international conditions.

During his speech, Lee emphasized balanced regional growth.

"Now this is Lee Jae-myung’s second visit to Gyeongsangnam-do Province during the official campaign period.

It’s being seen as an effort to secure more votes in the region compared to the last presidential election, when he lost to former President Yoon Suk Yeol with about 37 percent of the vote."

Before coming to Yangsan, Lee held a rally on Jeju Island, where he highlighted the importance of wind power and said Jeju should take the lead in renewable energy.

"Before long, Jeju Island will become a truly eco-friendly place, powered entirely by clean energy with no reliance on fossil fuels. It's on track to become a leading region and model city for renewable energy in Korea and we must make that happen."

Lee also addressed the April 3rd Incident, where around 30-thousand civilian protesters were killed in what the authorities at the time characterized as an anti-communist crackdown.

He said that he visits Jeju every year for the April 3rd memorial and hopes to come back next year as president.

With Lee’s visit to Gyeongsangnam-do Province, attention is now on whether he will meet former President Moon Jae-in during the trip.

This comes as Lee is scheduled to visit Bongha Village in the city of Gimhae on Friday, where a memorial service will be held to mark the 16th anniversary of former President Roh Moo-hyun’s death.

The visit is seen as a way to emphasize the party’s legacy and rally core supporters.

There’s a chance Lee and Moon could meet, as they did last year when Lee joined Moon and former first lady Kwon Yang-sook for lunch after the ceremony.

Shin Ha-young, Arirang News, Yangsan.