Presidential Candidates Go Online Amid COVID-19 Era... Will They Win Over Young Voters?

Online Campaigning Becomes Central as Social Distancing Persists
Experts Say, "Current Efforts Are More Imitation Than Understanding"

Photo posted on Facebook by former Board of Audit and Inspection Chairman Choi Jaehyung on the 21st. Former Chairman Choi shared a photo of himself getting a perm at a hair salon, saying, "I learned it quickly from my son last night."

[Asia Economy, reporters Jeon Jinyoung and Park Jooni] The COVID-19 era has shifted presidential candidates from traditional markets to online platforms. Not only has the location changed, but the content and style have also evolved. This is because they must rearm themselves with content tailored to the online world. As a result, middle-aged presidential hopefuls are not hesitating to "act like the youth." However, experts say that such strategies do not always guarantee success.

The spectacle of each presidential candidate showcasing "youthfulness" online is the result of the COVID-19 era, combined with the rise of the younger generation as a key variable in elections. Nevertheless, pop culture critic Jung Deokhyun pointed out, "To achieve real results, politicians need to truly understand social media and the sensibilities of young people. But what we see now is more imitation than understanding," adding, "The public’s expectations are higher than politicians think."

The strategy of focusing on online promotion does not immediately translate into higher approval ratings, as it often comes across as mere "showmanship." Political commentator Lee Jonghoon remarked, "It’s questionable how much impact this can actually have. Ultimately, what matters is their vision for governance." He added, "The MZ Generation is surprisingly discerning. They tend to compare and scrutinize policies and content. Simply trying to appeal to them with entertainment is not enough to win them over."

Professor Park Sangcheol of Kyonggi University’s Graduate School of Politics also commented, "In the case of former Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun, he had a reputation for being upright and for keeping rival candidates in check, but by trying to appear cheerful, his image has become somewhat awkward." Professor Park further advised, "Former Prosecutor General Yoon Seokyoul has a strong authoritative image, so it would be better for him to present a more free-spirited persona." In other words, transformation should not be done carelessly.

In practice, former Prosecutor General Yoon is putting forward his lookalike character "Butt Detective" as his mascot. He also uses emoticons based on his name, such as "ㅇㅅㅇ," and hashtags like "#SelfieDetective." Former Board of Audit and Inspection Chairman Choi Jaehyung posted a photo of himself getting a perm at a hair salon, saying, "I learned (Facebook) quickly from my son," in an effort to show a more down-to-earth side. Both are revealing somewhat comical aspects of themselves in an attempt to shed the authoritative images associated with their previous roles as prosecutor general and audit chief.

Although he was eliminated in the primary, Gangwon Province Governor Choi Moonsun also made active use of YouTube. He frequently used internet slang such as "I'll become a potato," "OTZ (prostrating figure)," and "Governor selling potatoes MoonsunC," in an effort to shed his "old man" image. Former Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun filmed and uploaded a video promoting Dokdo on the TikTok app.

A TikTok capture screen of former Prime Minister Jeong Sye-gyun

Some candidates have even set up campaign camps in the virtual world. Former Democratic Party leader Lee Nakyon established a cyber camp on the 3D virtual space metaverse app "Zepeto." He erected a signboard reading, "The legitimate successor to Kim Daejung, Roh Moo-hyun, and Moon Jae-in-it's me, Lee Nakyon." On July 16, Lee’s avatar held a virtual fan meeting at the cyber camp. On the same day, lawmaker Kim Dugwan held a virtual press conference on the Zepeto Dokdo map.

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