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With the June 3 local elections and parliamentary by-elections just two days away, a string of industrial and facility safety incidents has emerged as a late-campaign variable. As major accidents accumulated in the final stretch of the campaign and raised concerns about voter sentiment, all parties have scaled back their election activities.
On June 1, after an explosion at Hanwha Aerospace in Daejeon and a toxic gas leak at SK Hynix in Cheongju occurred in quick succession, both the Democratic Party and the People Power Party immediately halted nationwide campaigning and shifted focus to response efforts. Each party’s campaign committee suspended in-person rallies and issued urgent directives.
Immediately after the incidents, Democratic Party senior campaign chair Jeong Cheong-rae ordered all national candidates to suspend campaigning. \”I have issued an emergency notice to suspend nationwide campaigning. Please follow the central party’s guidelines and remain calm,\” he said. \”With people fighting for their lives in the flames, we cannot campaign as usual.\”
He had planned a whistle-stop tour linking Goesan (North Chungcheong), Andong (North Gyeongsang), and Ulsan after a central committee meeting in Cheonan (South Chungcheong), but he significantly revised the itinerary.
Jo Seung-rae, head of the party’s campaign headquarters, told reporters the same day, \”The Democratic Party will actively cooperate with recovery efforts, and we will continue calm, measured campaigning for the remainder of the campaign period.\”
The People Power Party also shifted its campaign tone abruptly. Public support appearances by standing campaign committee chair Jang Dong-hyeok and co-chair Song Eon-seok were both canceled, and the party reorganized its nationwide campaigning plans.
Party leaders had planned last-minute push efforts focused on strategic areas such as Jeju and the Seoul metropolitan region, but after the Seosomun High School collapse in Seoul and the subsequent Daejeon explosion, they pivoted to a more restrained approach instead of aggressive campaigning.
Jang immediately instructed nationwide campaign offices to refrain from using campaign jingles and choreographed routines and to conduct subdued, low-key campaigning. On his Facebook page he wrote, \”I pray for the souls of those who tragically lost their lives in the accident, and I offer my sincere condolences to the bereaved families. I wish them a speedy recovery.\”
Until the accidents occurred, both parties had been making a final push to win voters. The Democratic Party emphasized the case for steady governance, while the People Power Party highlighted the need to check the administration. The Democrats urged support for the president’s agenda; the People Power Party paired apologies with calls for stronger oversight of the government.
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