Hong Joon-pyo, chairman of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party, will stay away from campaign rallies for the June 12 local elections.

Citing the need for candidate-centered electioneering, Hong on Sunday said that he would no longer take part in campaign rallies for his party’s candidates.

Hong stressed that he was taking into account the opinions of his party members, who have urged for changes to its electioneering strategy. However, the ruling Democratic Party of Korea said that Hong was losing his place within his party due to his sharp political rhetoric. 

“Some gubernatorial election candidates say it would be better to focus the competition on each individual runner, rather than make it a competition among parties,” Hong said in a Facebook post. “They say when I join in their campaigning, it appears to give voters the message that the competition is between President Moon Jae-in and I, Hong.”

Hong said he agrees with their opinions and has decided not to visit all electioneering events.

As it is a political custom for a party chief to tour regions to support the party’s mayoral and gubernatorial candidates, Hong’s move is viewed as unusual.

As the conservative party struggles to gain votes, some candidates appear uncomfortable at having Hong present at their rallies. Hong’s hard-line conservative remarks, especially on Moon’s engagement with North Korea, run against the prevailing public sentiment.

In earlier rallies in Busan and South Chungcheong Province, Hong was seen conducting the election campaign in the absence of the actual candidates.

On Thursday, when he went to Busan to support the party’s mayoral candidate Seo Byeong-soo, he had to stand on the podium without Seo, as Seo had taken a different campaigning route in the city.

Instead of visiting every regional spot for electioneering, he will visit some big cities, according to his party.

On Tuesday, he is scheduled to visit Daegu and Busan. Hong had canceled all planned local campaign appearances for Sunday and Monday, instead holding party meetings and conferences.

In the latest poll Monday by Realmeter, the Democratic Party topped the list with an approval rate of 52.2 percent out of 2,503 respondents, while the Liberty Korea Party recorded 19.8 percent. The far-left minor opposition Justice Party stood third, with 6.3 percent, and the center-right Bareunmirae Party posted 5.6 percent. The Party for Democracy and Peace posted 2.9 percent.

By Jo He-rim (herim@heraldcorp.com)