The Aggressive Moves of a 30s Party Leader... 'Era Change' or 'Difference of Opinion'?

From Communication Methods to Election Campaigns, the Keyword is 'Change'
Yoon Seok-yeol Also Responds... Will the 2030 Generation Turn Away?

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jun-yi] Lee Jun-seok, the party leader who joined hands with Yoon Seok-yeol, the presidential candidate of the People Power Party, is causing a stir in the political world. From communication methods to the form of election campaigns, he is breaking down existing practices across all areas, drawing attention to whether this could influence the recent recovery of Yoon’s approval ratings.

◆Lee Jun-seok, facing generational clashes with a party averaging 45 years old= From the process of forming the campaign committee, Lee showed differences of opinion with Yoon’s side. Previously, Lee insisted on forming a 'slim organization' campaign committee, which had been effective in the April 7 by-elections and the party convention, but this opinion was not reflected in the initial formation process. He also opposed the campaign committee being run by 'Yoonhaekgwan' (key associates of Yoon Seok-yeol), showing moves to leave the committee twice amid incidents such as the Ulsan meeting and clashes with Assemblywoman Jo Su-jin. On the 5th, right after the campaign committee reorganization, he protested that Kwon Young-se, the secretary-general, did not accept his proposed 'practice problem' of subway election campaigning during the morning commute.

He also clashed with party lawmakers over communication methods. On the 6th, party lawmakers passed a resolution for Lee’s resignation and called him to a caucus meeting for explanation, but another conflict arose over whether the meeting would be public. Lee argued that 'all statements in the meeting should be disclosed for unlimited debate,' but the lawmakers insisted on a 'closed meeting.' Except for officially announced agenda meetings, most caucus meetings have been held privately so far, and Lee’s refusal was a break from this practice. After a two-hour struggle, Lee and the lawmakers finally agreed to disclose all statements and began free discussion.

◆Emphasizing speed and field presence to target people in their 20s= Having reunited with candidate Yoon, Lee is sticking to his own style again, emphasizing 'speed' and a 'humble attitude.' He is effectively taking on the role of 'Head of Public Relations and Media' that he held before his resignation. On the 7th, he posted nine Facebook posts promoting Yoon. He shared previously introduced initiatives such as 'AI Yoon Seok-yeol,' the '59-second pledge' series using short-form videos, and the 'pledge wiki' where pledges are created through real-time comments.

Yoon’s campaign headquarters is also focusing on changes targeting the 2030 generation. While slimming down the headquarters, they are trying changes in messages and schedules. For example, the day before, Yoon personally rode the congested Gimpo subway line known as 'hell train,' and on this day, he shopped at a supermarket to directly check food prices and issues related to the quarantine pass. The messaging recently presented a two-line message of 'strengthening punishment for sexual crimes and false accusations,' followed by a one-line message of 'abolishing the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family' without further explanation. While there are criticisms that this is stirring controversy to target so-called 'Idaenam' (men in their 20s), a campaign official said, "We will deliver the message first, and Yoon will explain it directly later."

◆Will the tailored strategy for 2030 help sway votes?= Lee’s joining and Yoon’s campaign strategy changes appear to be a kind of 'customized strategy' to win back the 2030 generation who have turned away. However, opinions differ on whether Lee’s approach can represent the entire 2030 generation. His emphasized 'Idaenam' strategy has faced criticism from women’s groups, and it remains to be seen whether policies introduced through the '59-second pledge' such as subway commuter passes and electric vehicle charging fees will resonate with the general sentiment of the 2030 generation.

There is also analysis that the communication style focused on a specific generation may cause existing supporters to defect. The online-centered, speed-driven approach is unfamiliar to the elderly, who have a higher support rate, and there is still significant opposition among local party members against Lee. However, he emphasized change on Facebook the day before, saying, "If there is something I hope for in this election, it is to accept a higher generational vote share in the 20s than the regional vote share in our party’s stronghold, the TK (Daegu-Gyeongbuk) region." He added, "Just as the Democratic Party is gaining support from white-collar workers in the metropolitan area beyond absolute support in Honam and continuing favorable elections there, we should also evolve in that direction as a foundation for future victory."

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