Independent Kim Seong-geun backs PPP's Park Min-sik in Busan Buk-gu ahead of by-election

Kim Seong-geun, an independent candidate in Busan's Buk-gu A district — one of the most fiercely contested races in the June 3 by-election — announced his support Tuesday for People Power Party candidate Park Min-sik.

Speaking at a press conference at Park's campaign office Tuesday morning, Kim said he was withdrawing from the race to "throw his full support" behind Park.

Explaining his decision to back Park with just one day until the vote, Kim said the district needed "a true son of Gupo who fully understands the history and pain of the community" to resolve its long-standing challenges. He added that candidates had entered the Buk-gu race who were unaware of the tragedy at Gupo Station or the painful fact that Gupo Station had been excluded from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's pilot project.

Kim said he could no longer stand by as local politics was being laid to waste. "It is deeply distressing to see a warped fandom politics — one that spreads falsehoods, rigs elections and blindly follows a particular politician like a cult leader, abandoning even family to trail after them — while rational policy pledges and regional development are pushed aside," he said.

He further praised Park as a leader capable of "bridging the ruling and opposition parties, communicating with the central government, and pushing through with humility and boldness to secure the Gupo Station railway below-ground pilot project."

Park welcomed the endorsement, saying it was "not simply a declaration of support for Park Min-sik as an individual" but "a sharp rebuke from the public against unidentified polling agitators who have thoroughly distorted grassroots sentiment and tried to cover the eyes and ears of residents."

The two candidates had no particular prior connection, but Kim's camp reportedly reached out to Park's side suddenly the night before.

Park said he viewed Kim as having "spoken for the true sentiment of Buk-gu residents," adding that while time before Wednesday's vote was short, he was "convinced this will be a considerable boost."

Park also took direct aim at Democratic Party of Korea candidate Ha Jung-woo and independent candidate Han Dong-hoon, urging voters to "thoroughly punish at the ballot box on Wednesday another independent candidate who is dividing conservatives, shaking up Buk-gu and treating it as a mere stopover." He called on supporters to rally behind him to "bring down the Democratic Party's Ha Jung-woo and the Lee Jae Myung administration as it hurtles toward dictatorship."