Current and former presidents stump in Busan ahead of June 3 elections

President Lee Jae Myung, center, meets with local merchants at Namhang Market in Busan on May 27. [BLUE HOUSE]

Busan became the stage for a rare political showdown on Wednesday as both current President Lee Jae Myung and former President Park Geun-hye campaigned in the key battleground city just a week ahead of the June 3 local elections.

Sitting President Lee is backed by the liberal Democratic Party (DP), while Park has political support from conservatives who are mostly aligned with the People Power Party (PPP).

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While Park openly framed her visit as campaign support for PPP candidates, Lee, officially, traveled to the port city to attend a government event. However, observers view that Lee's appearance, coming two days before the early voting start, had political implications.