'스트롱맨' 홍준표, 당당한 서민 대통령으로 유세 펼쳐
We are continuing our new series of pre-election reports today on Korea's five major presidential candidates.
Our reporters are delving into the campaign strategies and the candidates' differing methods of engaging with voters.
Today our Oh Jung-hee focus on the candidate from the former ruling party.
The man in red... always sporting a tie in his signature color.
Hong Joon-pyo -- candidate for the Liberty Korea Party -- has worn red ties all throughout his political life... representing his passion for a "pure and honest politics."
After more than 20 years in the public eye,... he's now running for Korea's top office, Cheong Wa Dae.
The 62-year-old is the former governor of Gyeongsangnam-do Province.
He was a prosecutor from the mid-80s to the mid-90s... and entered politics in 1996 as a lawmaker with the New Korea Party, a predecessor of the Liberty Korea Party.
On the first day of his presidential campaign,... Hong headed to Hyeonchungsa Shrine in Asan City, Chungcheongnam-do Province.
His party was until recently the Saenuri Party, in power under former president Park Geun-hye, who was impeached and arrested, causing the party to split.
But at the shrine in Asan, Hong said he was determined to overcome that crisis in the spirit of Admiral Yi Sun-shin,... who defeated Japanese forces when they invaded Korea in the late 1500s.
Hong says he wasn't born with a silver spoon in his mouth, like some might think. His father worked as a low-paid janitor... and his mother was illiterate.
That's part of why he says he's always dreamed of eradicating inequality.
"I will end this vicious cycle where rich people in Gangnam get richer... while ordinary citizens are worse off. I will make a country where ordinary people can thrive."
To build a rapport with the average citizen,... Hong visits four or five of Korea's traditional markets every day.
"And here at Daejeon Jungang Market,... Hong is greeting merchants,... promising to devise policies that will both protect them... and help invigorate the local economy."
Hong says he wants to remodel the markets to help local vendors... and has pledged to root out the kind of crimes that target ordinary citizens.
Hong Joon-pyo's the best Candidate number 2
I like him because it seems he'll work for the ordinary citizens.
While Hong campaigns in front of the cameras,... there are plenty of people doing their part behind the scenes.
At Liberty Korea headquarters in Seoul, officials are focused on strategy.
"We see victory in this election once the conservative-leaning people come together. For the first two days, we've concentrated our campaigning in the Gyeongsang-do provinces,... the homebase of conservatives."
The party is sure about one thing -- it's time a "strong leader" like Hong became president -- one who will go toe-to-toe diplomatically with other regional powers.
"Hong Joon-pyo is a leader who can negotiate with the U.S., Japan, China and Russia. Also, he wants lay out his economic vision with a truly charismatic appeal to the public,... not walking on eggshells like previous leaders have."
To consolidate his support, Hong hit the streets of traditional conservative strongholds,... Daegu and Busan.
He highlighted his hard-line stance against North Korea... and stressed that he will keep the country safe.
"If I become president, I will negotiate with the U.S. and deploy tactical nuclear weapons to South Korea. I will put an end to the North's nuclear provocations with an aggressive national security policy."
The crowd in Busan appeared very enthusiastic about the ideas he put forward on security and job creation.
"Of the five major candidates, Hong has the most experience in state affairs. And I like the firm determination he has when it comes to national security and protecting our country. Korea is in a crisis, and he will stand against the North Korean threat."
"I thought that politicians' lives would be completely different from ours,... but listening to Hong's story, I see it's really not much different. I have a feeling he will look after ordinary citizens like us."
Hong's campaign plans to march on across the country... with an emphasis on strength and charismatic leadership... balanced by closeness to ordinary people.
Oh Jung-hee, Arirang News.
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