[Politics, That Day...] The Dusty 'Playground Joint Rally', Filled with the Scent of Makgeolli

The Joint Party Rally Abolished in 2004: Vanished Old Memories and Changes in Campaign Methods
Cloud-like Crowds Gathered at Elementary School Campaign Venues, a Spectacle Seen Only During Elections

[Asia Economy Reporter Ryu Jeong-min]

Editor's Note‘Politics, On That Day...’ is a series that looks back on Korean politics through the ‘recollection of memories’ related to notable scenes, events, and figures.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

For the elderly, elections were a kind of festival. Especially, the joint speeches of party candidates held at elementary schools (then called 국민학교, Gukmin School) were full of sights and treats. When posters announcing the joint speeches were posted on walls and utility poles, the entire neighborhood buzzed with excitement. Around the elementary school joint speech venues, there was an abundance of food and drinks such as Makgeolli, pajeon, beondegi, and cold tea.

Before the joint speeches began, people would wet their throats with Makgeolli, and during the speeches, meeting neighbors and sharing Makgeolli would bring the atmosphere to a peak. Joint speeches were gatherings that attracted many people. In fact, from the elderly to middle-aged people, students, and children, many gathered at the elementary school playground to watch the joint rallies.

For voters seeking election information, the purpose of visiting the joint speeches was to see which candidate spoke well and who had a good character, while for children, simply experiencing the lively and noisy space was fascinating and interesting.

In fact, the joint rallies of party candidates were not only warm and affectionate scenes. It was a space where one had to witness both things worth seeing and those better left unseen, from remarks embarrassing for children to frowned-upon behaviors.

Some candidates used ‘black propaganda’ to try to change the election situation unfavorable to themselves and even engaged in actions that stirred regional sentiments. Whenever such remarks were made at the joint speeches, loud arguments broke out among the involved parties, and physical fights sometimes occurred in various places.

In the past, joint rally venues were important places to directly see the ‘skills’ of candidates. At that time, it was hard to imagine elections using the internet or social network services (SNS).

On the 25th, when the official election campaign for the April 7 Seoul mayoral by-election began, candidates' election posters were put up in Daehak-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

As the importance of joint rallies grew, so did their drawbacks. The sound of applause at joint rally venues was an indicator of the current state of the election race. Candidates chose an ‘easy’ method to prove that public opinion was more favorable to them. This was the mobilization of so-called applause squads.

When a candidate stepped onto the podium, the mobilized applause squads would cheer enthusiastically, while the applause squads of competing parties would show indifferent expressions repeatedly.

After the speech of the candidate they supported ended, the mobilized applause squads and supporters would leave the playground like an ebb tide. Thanks to this, the next speaker had to continue their speech in a chilly space filled with dust clouds. Candidates with weaker party organizational mobilization were at a disadvantage.

For generations born after 2000, joint speeches are scenes only seen in movies. This is because the joint speech system of parties was abolished ahead of the 17th general election in 2004. Joint speeches were a system with clear pros and cons. Although criticized as a main culprit of money politics, it was also a space where one could experience the taste of direct democracy.

Since 2004, the focus of election campaigns has shifted from large-scale crowd mobilization events to campaigns using mass media, the internet, and SNS. Although candidates have more means to reach voters, black propaganda has not disappeared. Perhaps that is why the abolition of elementary school joint speeches, where one could feel analog sensibility, feels regrettable.

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