POLITICIANS PREPARE FOR PRIMARY VOTING

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The Democratic Party’s primary voting is slated for Tuesday. The party’s presidential candidates stumped the Chungcheong region last weekend. The People Power Party launched candidate registration on Monday. Its presidential hopefuls are at odds over primary rules. Justice Party Rep. Sim Sang-jung has announced her fourth presidential bid and blasted the two major parties.

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All Democratic Party presidential hopefuls agree that voters in the Chungcheong region will have a big say in the early stages of the primary election. Lee Jae-myung emphasizes that his in-laws are from Chungcheong. He pledged to build a high-tech industrial belt and complete the administrative capital.

[Soundbite] Lee Jae-myung(Democratic Party presidential candidate) : "I will open a second presidential office in Sejong. I will also swiftly process a bill on the amendment of the National Assembly Act to establish a National Assembly branch in Sejong."

His camp appears confident in swaying Chungcheong voters. Lee Nak-yon also spent the weekend covering the region. He expressed confidence in winning Chungcheong and stressed stability as one of his strengths.

[Soundbite] Lee Nak-yon(Democratic Party presidential candidate) : "A type of leadership that can bridge the gap or arbitrate conflicts. That's what we need."

The former PM's camp, which earlier raised speculation that Lee Jae-myung received a lawyer’s services free of charge, is now demanding that he comes clean on where he obtained the money to pay for the services, if he did so. Yoon Seok-youl of the People Power Party has outlined his real estate policies, including public housing for young people.

[Soundbite] Yoon Seok-youl(People Power Party presidential candidate) : "I will provide 300,000 public housing units to young people within five years for prices that do not exceed construction costs."

The PPP candidates are at odds over primary rules. Yoo Seung-min says taking issue with the clause on preventing adverse selection in primary public polls is tantamount to giving up on running for the top office.

[Soundbite] Yoo Seong-min(People Power Party presidential candidate) : "If the election commission chief decides to revise this primary rule, it will only help candidates with limited potential."

Choi Jae-hyung, who is also calling for the clause on preventing adverse selection, blasted Yoo for “serious political dyslexia.” Justice Party's Sim Sang-jung announced her fourth presidential bid.

[Soundbite] Sim Sang-jung(Justice Party) : "The upcoming election must put an end to the two-party system that has lasted 34 years."

Vowing to push for the legislation of a new labor law, Sim said she has no plans to field a single candidate with the DP, because its recent policies are not much different from those of the main opposition bloc.