Democratic Party Aims for Comeback with Strength of 'Infantry Battle' Organization

Park Young-sun, the Democratic Party of Korea's candidate for Seoul mayor, is participating in traffic safety volunteer activities with members of the Green Mothers' Association in front of Bukgajwa Elementary School in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, on the 26th. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Cheol-eung] The Democratic Party of Korea is focusing on an all-out "infantry battle" by mobilizing its organizational strength. They are making every effort to reverse the situation, which has become more favorable to calls for regime judgment due to the Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) scandal.

On the 25th, a Democratic Party official said, "Because of COVID-19, it is difficult to meet in person, so we are contacting acquaintances through phone calls, KakaoTalk, Telegram, and other means," adding, "Even if the person does not support the Democratic Party, conveying sincerity and urgency will have an effect. We must make the maximum effort possible, shouldn't we?"

The Democratic Party is using a method where party members submit recommendations of acquaintances, and candidates contact them to campaign. Democratic Party leader Lee Nak-yeon recently stated that "the election is urgent" and appealed to acquaintances, ordering the "infantry battle." They have also devised a strategy where affiliated lawmakers are assigned by Seoul and Busan constituencies to conduct focused support campaigns.

By-elections, which are not designated as public holidays, tend to have relatively low voter turnout, so the key is how many supporters actually go to the polls. In Seoul, there are about 8.4 million eligible voters, and assuming a 50% turnout, about 4.2 million voters would participate. The efforts of approximately 200,000 Democratic Party members could be a variable. Of course, the traditional organization of conservative opposition parties is strong, but the Democratic Party's strength lies in holding 41 out of 49 Seoul National Assembly seats and about 90% of district mayors and city councilors. In last April's general election, the Democratic Party reportedly concentrated its organizational strength on swing districts through efforts such as encouraging acquaintances to vote, achieving results.

The difficulty of active campaigning due to COVID-19 is an obstacle. A Democratic Party official said, "There are no offline gatherings like alumni meetings or hometown associations, and it is difficult to campaign face-to-face, so we are focusing on non-face-to-face contact." Former Future United Party (predecessor of the People Power Party) Supreme Council member Lee Jun-seok recently wrote on Facebook, "Because of COVID-19, we haven't met for over a year. An organization that hasn't met for over a year is practically disbanded."

Ultimately, the key question is whether the regime judgment frame can be overcome amid a large gap in various opinion polls. An Ilwon, CEO of Research View, said, "The regime judgment sentiment, which was reserved during last year's general election, has greatly erupted due to the LH scandal," adding, "Organizational strength is a meaningful tool in close contests, but this time, since a major issue has occurred, its effect is limited. Of course, from the Democratic Party's perspective, it is natural to mobilize all available means and make efforts."

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