Hanam-gap candidate Lee Gwang-jae vows 72-hour sleepless campaign blitz

By Kim Do-yoon, The Herald Business

Lee Gwang-jae, the Democratic Party of Korea candidate in the June 3 Hanam-gap National Assembly by-election in Gyeonggi Province, announced Monday that he is conducting a 72-hour sleepless campaign. The push began at midnight Saturday and runs through midnight Tuesday, the eve of voting day.

"I will pour every drop of sweat and sincerity into every alley and corner," Lee said. "For 72 hours, I will not allow myself a single minute of sleep — I will run with everything I have, right beside the people of Hanam."

Lee has made two-way communication with residents a hallmark of his campaign, setting himself apart from the conventional approach of appealing to crowds from atop a campaign vehicle. Starting May 23, he held four rounds of on-site question-and-answer rallies in the Deokpung, Sinjang, Gamil and Wirye neighborhoods, inviting voters to ask questions and engaging them directly on the spot.

During the previous general election, he incorporated pop-opera performances into his street campaigning.

"I will carry deep in my heart the solemn mandate you have given me, the unresolved wishes you hold, and the earnest hopes you have placed in me," Lee said, appealing for support. "The path to lifting Hanam out of its reputation as a bedroom community and transforming it into a self-sustaining city ultimately rests on each and every one of your votes. Please stand with me."