Candidates make last-ditch appeals to voters on eve of presidential election

A staffer looks at election signage at the National Election Commission in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province on June 2, 2025. Yonhap

SEOUL, June 2 (AJP) - Monday is the final day of campaigning ahead of Tuesday's presidential election, with candidates set to canvass until the last minutes to win over voters.

Kim Moon-soo, the presidential candidate of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) kicked off his final day of campaigning with a visit to the southern resort island of Jeju, before making stops in Busan, Daegu, and Daejeon, and wrapping up in Seoul as the final leg of his rally.

According to a PPP spokesman, Kim plans to wrap up his campaign in front of Seoul City Hall in central Seoul, highlighting his commitment to improving people's livelihoods in the heart of the capital, "where citizens gather."

He will then spend the rest of the evening on Seoul's major streets until midnight, meeting as many younger voters as possible, who are seen as crucial to turning the tide as Kim has been trailing far behind Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP).

The frontrunner Lee began his day in northern Seoul before moving to Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, and concluding with a finale rally at a park in the financial district of Yeouido.

A DP spokesman said, "Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, is where Lee began his political career [as the province's mayor]," and added, "Yeouido Park is a site where citizens stood to defend democracy" against former disgraced President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law debacle late last year.

Lee Jun-seok, the youngest candidate from the minor centrist Reform Party, continues his campus campaign with another visit to Tech University of Korea in Siheung, Gyeonggi Province, where he will have lunch with students in the cafeteria, in a last-ditch effort to appeal to young voters.

He then tours southern regions before wrapping up in the conservative stronghold of Daegu.

Kwon Young-kook of the minor progressive Democratic Labor Party is making stops across key areas of Seoul, stressing issues affecting people with disabilities, workers, and women, with his final rally set in the capital's central district of Jongno.

An official checks ballot boxes through surveillance cameras at the National Election Commission in Gwacheon Gyeonggi Province on June 2 2025 Yonhap — An official checks ballot boxes through surveillance cameras at the National Election Commission in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province on June 2, 2025. Yonhap

Meanwhile, the June 3 snap election follows the Constitutional Court of Korea's ruling in early April to impeach Yoon over his Dec. 3 declaration of martial law last year. According to election watchdog National Election Commission (NEC), about 15.42 million out of 44.39 million eligible voters cast their ballots in early voting last week with a high voter turnout of 34.74 percent.

Park Sae-jin swatchsjp@ajunews.com

Candidates make last-ditch appeals to voters on eve of presidential election

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