Presidential election campaigning

[Anchor]

Today (May 11), the registration of presidential candidates has been completed, and the official election campaigning will begin tomorrow (May 12).

There are 23 days left until the June 3 presidential election.

Our political reporter Son Seo-young is here.

The registration of presidential candidates has closed today.

How many candidates are running?

[Reporter]

Yes, the National Election Commission accepted applications for two days starting yesterday (May 10), and a total of 7 candidates have registered.

Candidates are assigned numbers based on the number of seats in the National Assembly, with Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung receiving number 1, People Power Party candidate Kim Moon-soo receiving number 2, and Reform Party candidate Lee Jun-seok receiving number 4.

Democratic Labor Party's Kwon Young-guk, Free Unification Party's Gu Joo-wha, and independents Hwang Kyo-ahn and Song Jin-ho have also declared their candidacies.

[Anchor]

The official election campaigning starts tomorrow.

What is the specific schedule?

[Reporter]

Yes, starting tomorrow, the presidential race will unfold for 22 days until midnight on June 2, the day before the election.

Campaigning can take place in public places from 7 AM to 11 PM, where candidates can give speeches or hold discussions, and they can also send out election posters and pamphlets.

Candidates will distribute business cards on the streets and put up campaign banners.

Overseas voting will take place from the 20th to the 25th, and ballots will be printed starting on the 25th.

On the 26th to 29th, shipboard voting will be held, and early voting will take place over two days on the 29th and 30th.

The main voting will be held on June 3 from 6 AM to 8 PM.

[Anchor]

Ultimately, this presidential election will be a three-way race, and the most notable variable is still whether a 'big tent' will be formed, right?

[Reporter]

Yes, whether a big tent coalition will be established or if candidate Lee Jun-seok will complete his campaign is a key point to watch.

However, it seems that the big tent alliance has lost significant momentum.

In the People Power Party, which had invested in the big tent, there has been a falling through of candidacy unification, which led to severe conflict in the process.

Former Prime Minister Han and former Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon, who resonated with the big tent, have declared they will not run and will not support other candidates.

Reform Party candidate Lee Jun-seok also dismissed the possibility of unification, stating, "It was 0% from the start, and it will remain 0%."

However, candidate Kim stated today that he is determined to establish a big tent coalition and achieve victory in the presidential election.

There is a saying that politics is a living thing, so it will be interesting to see what results will follow.

[Anchor]

Let's take a look at the situation in the Democratic Party.

With the internal strife in the People Power Party and the judicial risks dissipating, they seem to be in a more comfortable position?

[Reporter]

Yes, the Democratic Party is not resting on its laurels and is focusing on targeting the moderate electorate by prioritizing people's livelihoods and integration.

Candidate Lee, who has strengths in public speaking, plans to roll out prepared policies related to people's livelihoods alongside on-site campaigning.

They are also expected to continue expanding their outreach by recruiting moderate conservative figures under the banner of integration.

The DP will also start their full-swing scrutiny of People Power Party candidate Kim Moon-soo.

Today, candidate Kim's controversial remarks were made public, and pressure is being increased on him to clarify his stance on emergency martial law and impeachment.

[Anchor]

Today, former President Yoon Suk-yeol released a message related to the presidential election.

What did it say?

[Reporter]

Yes, former President Yoon shared a plea to the public through his social media.

The message emphasizes the need to unite around candidate Kim Moon-soo, stating that this presidential election is a critical juncture for preserving the free Republic of Korea system.

There have been mixed reactions from within the People Power Party.

While they say we should not be trapped in the past, they also view it as a setback to moderate expansion, with calls emerging for former President Yoon's party expulsion.

The Democratic Party criticized this as an attempt to intervene in the election, questioning whether it was an attempt of direct involvement following the failure of former Prime Minister Han Deok-soo's candidacy, and called for the immediate arrest of former President Yoon.