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Kim Moon-soo, presidential candidate of the ruling People Power Party, delivers a campaign speech at Jihaeng Station Plaza in Dongducheon, Gyeonggi Province, on May 21. / Source: Press Pool

With just 13 days remaining until the 21st presidential election, major candidates are zeroing in on the Seoul metropolitan area, home to the largest share of the electorate. Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party, Kim Moon-soo of the ruling People Power Party (PPP), and Lee Jun-seok of the New Reform Party each continued intensive campaigns across the region on May 21.

Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung spent a third straight day campaigning in the capital region, holding multiple rallies throughout Incheon — his former constituency — to highlight the Yoon Suk-yeol administration’s policy failures and to warn of the dangers of martial law measures. He called himself the most capable candidate to steer the country out of crisis and urged voters to entrust him with the task.

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Lee Jae-myung, presidential candidate of the Democratic Party, greets citizens during a campaign rally in Cheongna-dong, Incheon, on May 21. / Source: Press Pool

At a rally in Namdong District, Incheon, Lee declared, “Our economy is shrinking — we're seeing negative growth. In times like this, the government must increase public spending so money circulates in local communities.” He criticized the current administration, saying, “Some think slashing taxes for the wealthy and leaving local economies to fend for themselves is freedom. That’s a delusion.”

Lee emphasized the importance of economic circulation, stating, “Even if someone has 1 million won, if it just sits idle, that’s a depression. The economy depends on flow.” Addressing criticism of his so-called “hotel economy theory,” he explained, “If 100,000 won changes hands ten times, that becomes 1 million won in economic activity. That’s what I was trying to explain. If someone doesn’t understand that, they’re foolish — and if they twist it deliberately, they’re just malicious.”

PPP candidate Kim Moon-soo also continued his third day of capital-region campaigning, focusing on northern Gyeonggi Province. In Goyang, he joined young farmers in rice planting to connect with younger rural voters. During a rally in Gimpo, he indirectly criticized Lee Jae-myung and the Democratic Party’s proposed amendment to the Public Official Election Act, saying, “It’s like a thief trying to erase the crime of theft. They’re making a law to remove what they’ve done wrong. How is that different from deleting theft from the criminal code to escape trial?”

New Reform Party candidate Lee Jun-seok, meanwhile, dismissed growing calls for conservative unification. Speaking at the 2025 Asian Leadership Conference in Seoul’s Jung District, he said, “Our approval ratings are rising steadily. Rather than discussing unification, we will stay true to the young generation and reform-minded voters who support us.” He pointed to recent polling trends, noting that “the post-debate surveys conducted from May 19–20 clearly show an upward trajectory. The trend should be even more visible in surveys from May 21–22.”