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Lee heads to Jeju, Kim to unveil political reform at halfway point of campaign

Published: 22 May. 2025, 12:25

From left: presidential candidates Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party, Kim Moon-soo of the People Power Party and Lee Jun-seok of the Reform Party. [YONHAP]

Democratic Party (DP) candidate Lee Jae-myung was set to hold campaign rallies on Jeju Island, while People Power Party (PPP) candidate Kim Moon-soo planned to unveil political reform plans Thursday, as the election campaign reached its halfway point.

With 12 days to go until the June 3 presidential election, Lee has maintained a comfortable lead in various opinion polls, but Kim appears to have edged closer to the DP candidate by a slight margin.

To better challenge Lee, Kim has publicly asked Lee Jun-seok of the minor New Reform Party (NRP) to unify their candidacies. The NRP candidate, however, has ruled out a possible merger with Kim.

The combined approval ratings of Kim and Lee Jun-seok trail behind that of the DP's Lee, who holds about 50 percent in recent opinion polls.

Lee of the DP will start the campaign in the southern island of Jeju and head to Yangsan in South Gyeongsang Province to consolidate his lead in the liberal stronghold.

He is also scheduled to visit the nearby village of Bongha in Gimhae on Friday to attend a memorial marking the 16th anniversary of former President Roh Moo-hyun's death. During the ceremony, he may meet former President Moon Jae-in, who has attended the event annually since leaving office in 2022.

Meanwhile, Kim will announce a vision for political reform, including curbing presidential powers and overhauling the political party and electoral systems.

He will then meet with leaders of the nation's five major business lobbying groups to discuss trade strategy with the United States.

Additionally, he plans to sit down with representatives of the Korean Medical Association to address the ongoing standoff over medical reform and is expected to sign a policy agreement with a major women's organization.

Later in the day, Kim will campaign in Gangmyeong and Bucheon in Gyeonggi, just west of Seoul. He previously served as a three-term lawmaker representing Bucheon from 1996 to 2006 before being elected governor of Gyeonggi.

Yonhap