[New Wave] The 'Game' That Created a New American President

Historically, the emergence of new media has made those who skillfully utilized it leaders of a new era. A prime example is the popularization of TV, which played a crucial role in young Democratic Senator John F. Kennedy defeating his Republican opponent, Vice President Richard Nixon, to become the President of the United States. The first-ever presidential candidate TV debate in American history, held on September 26, 1960, was reportedly watched by about 70 million Americans, roughly one-third of the population.

Through TV, Kennedy highlighted his eloquence, health, and confidence, delivering a starkly contrasting image to Nixon, who appeared weak by sweating and stammering. Kennedy also spoke directly to the camera, while Nixon spoke only to Kennedy, creating a sense of distance for viewers. In the subsequent election, Kennedy narrowly defeated Nixon and was elected the youngest president in U.S. history. Time magazine even noted that without the TV debate, there might have been no President Kennedy.

In South Korea, the late President Roh Moo-hyun is famously known as the "Internet President." Roh was inevitably a non-mainstream figure within the Honam-based Democratic Party. Moreover, with only a high school diploma, he seemed lacking compared to competitors with impressive academic backgrounds and careers. One key factor that enabled his election was his fan club-like group "Nosamo," formed primarily through the internet. Nosamo worked passionately to promote Roh Moo-hyun online.

At that time, candidate Roh achieved great success by differentiating himself from other candidates who were unfamiliar with the internet, which was becoming widely popular in the early 2000s. The cases of Kennedy and former President Roh clearly demonstrate that understanding and effectively utilizing newly emerging media is an essential quality for becoming a leader of the era.

In the 2020 U.S. presidential election, winning candidate Joe Biden conducted his campaign through gaming, unlike President Donald Trump. Biden’s team used the popular game "Animal Crossing: New Horizons" to campaign amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

In October, as the election reached its peak, the Biden camp opened "Biden Island" to conduct final campaign efforts targeting gamer voters. On Biden Island, meeting an avatar of Biden wearing black sunglasses displayed the campaign slogan "No Malarkey." Visitors could explore his promotional materials and virtual office, and commemorate their visit by taking photos wearing shirts with the candidate’s name, sharing them on social media to show their support for Biden.

For voters without gaming consoles, the Biden team also provided tour videos of Biden Island on game-specialized streaming platforms, demonstrating meticulous planning. Biden’s gaming campaign showed that games have become a powerful medium to engage IT-savvy voters and garner their support in an era where gaming has transcended contactless (untact) interactions to become a part of popular culture.

The 2020 U.S. presidential election, held amid the Fourth Industrial Revolution, reminded us that one cannot become a leader of the new era by ignoring or opposing games. Many leadership candidates in South Korea aiming for election must never underestimate the role of games and the opinions expressed by gamers in this U.S. presidential election. Especially those who aspire to lead not only themselves but also South Korea to success should take this seriously.

Lee Jang-joo, Director of Irak Digital Culture Research Institute

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.