Competition between rival parties intensifies as by-election approaches

[Anchor]

The October by-election is just three days away.

In Busan, the largest battleground, the remarks of an opposition party member have emerged as a last-minute variable.

In Jeonnam, the competition for the Honam region among opposition parties has intensified.

Jeon Hyun-woo reports.

[Report]

In Geumjeong-gu, Busan, a traditional stronghold of the ruling party, the unification of opposition candidates and low approval ratings for the government have made this election the biggest battleground, while a misstatement from a Democratic Party member is a last-minute variable.

The controversy arose from remarks made by Democratic Party member Kim Young-bae, who criticized the by-election, held due to the previous district chief's death in office, as a 'waste of taxpayer money.' The Democratic Party quickly moved to mitigate the situation by issuing an apology and referring the matter for disciplinary action, but the People Power Party has been on the offensive, calling it 'immoral behavior.'

[Kim Min-seok/Democratic Party Supreme Council Member: "He apologized for making that statement based on a misunderstanding of the facts, and since the party leader has directly instructed the referral to the ethics committee..."]

[Ho Jun-seok/People Power Party Spokesperson: "It seems that such outrageous remarks came out because they perceive this election as merely a shield for Representative Lee Jae-myung, thus insulting the former official who died during service to the region."]

In Jeonnam, the re-elections for the mayors of Yeonggwang and Gokseong, with early voting rates exceeding 40%, are in full swing as the opposition parties compete for the Honam region.

In Yeonggwang, there are allegations of 'illegal election activities,' while in Gokseong, there are disputes over candidates' asset declarations, showing signs of overheating.

[Lee Jae-myung/Democratic Party Leader/Oct. 11: "This is an emergency situation. We must not allow cracks to occur on the front line."]

[Cho Kuk/Rebuilding Korea Party Leader: "Voting based on whether there are plans and policies. We need political competition in Honam."]

Leader Cho Kuk will support the Democratic candidate for the mayor of Geumjeong-gu in Busan tomorrow (10.14), while Leader Han Dong-hoon will return to Busan the day after tomorrow (10.15), indicating that the final campaign efforts from both party leaders are expected to intensify.

This is KBS News Jeon Hyun-woo.