South Korean Party Leaders Urge Scaled-Back Campaigning After Factory Explosion

Leaders of South Korea's ruling and main opposition parties directed candidates in upcoming local elections to scale back or tone down campaign activities Monday after a factory explosion killed at least five people. m. at a Hanwha Aerospace facility in Daejeon, about 140 kilometers south of Seoul, and injured two others.

The ruling Democratic Party leader instructed all party candidates and campaign offices nationwide to halt activities and refrain from using campaign songs or dance performances. The main opposition party leader called on candidates to avoid playing music or dancing at rallies and canceled scheduled events in Jeju and Ulsan.

The opposition candidate for the same post decided to continue events without campaign songs. The explosion came two days before the June 3 local elections and less than a week after an overpass collapse in Seoul.