Presidential Election D-51, Lee Jae-myung and Yoon Seok-youl's 'Politics of Movement'

A Vote Earned by Feet Is More Honest Than One Gained by Mouth

[Asia Economy Reporters Jeon Jinyoung and Park Juni] Examining where presidential candidates visit and whom they meet is useful not only for understanding their election strategies but also for gauging their directions for national governance after taking office. With 51 days remaining until the presidential election, we analyzed the travel routes and the profiles of the people met by the two candidates, Lee Jae-myung and Yoon Seok-youl, since their nominations by their respective parties. Although the two represent completely opposite ideological spectrums, their ‘rightward’ and ‘leftward’ shifts have resulted in more similarities than differences in their actions.

Lee’s 3 Visits to PK·TK, Yoon’s 2 Visits to Gwangju
Each Started Election Schedule in Opponent’s Stronghold
As Election Nears, Focus Shifts to Seoul Metropolitan Area

◇Lee Starts in Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam (PK) vs. Yoon in Honam... Eventually Met in the Capital Area= Both candidates began their first schedules in ‘hostile territories’ rather than their political strongholds. Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party’s presidential candidate, took his first ‘Mae-ta-bus’ (bus tour) to the PK region (Busan, Ulsan, Gyeongnam). Yoon Seok-youl, the People Power Party’s candidate, chose Honam. After his nomination, Lee spent three schedules in PK and TK (Daegu, Gyeongbuk). He even welcomed the New Year at Busan New Port. This suggests his intention to visit not only hostile areas but also remote regions. A Democratic Party official said, “The candidate plans to visit remote areas where previous presidential candidates have not gone to hear the voices of the people.”

On the other hand, Yoon chose Gwangju for his first schedule, focusing on courting Honam. His first regional schedule after declaring his candidacy was also there. So far, he has visited Honam twice; the second visit was to make amends for the controversy over his remarks defending former President Jeon Du-hwan that arose during the first visit. To appeal to centrist voters, he also focused on the Chungcheong region. He emphasized “Chungcheong is my root” and promoted the ‘Chungcheong Great Hope Theory,’ visiting the Chungcheong area three times.

As the election approaches, both candidates are concentrating their strategies on the Seoul metropolitan area. Lee toured Seoul by subway and bus in the second season of his ‘Mae-ta-bus.’ He visited Sanggye-dong in Nowon-gu, an area with many aging apartments, promising to ease reconstruction regulations. Yoon chose Incheon for his New Year’s sunrise visit and, on the 10th, focused on local issues such as the launch of the Incheon campaign headquarters and the construction of the Incheon Metropolitan Express Railway (GTX).

Both Candidates Emphasize Economic Image
Lee Visits Startups and Large Corporations
Yoon Frequently Visits Industrial Complexes and Research Parks

◇Similar Yet Different ‘Economic Activities’= Both candidates are working hard to establish themselves as ‘economic presidents.’ Especially targeting centrist voters, they focus on actions that shed their party colors. Lee has shown economic activities covering startups and large corporations. He held several meetings with startup and venture entrepreneurs. He also engaged in labor-management issue resolutions through town hall meetings with Daewoo Shipbuilding union executives and discussions with the Federation of Korean Trade Unions. Notably, he emphasizes a business-friendly approach. Lee visited the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Samsung Economic Research Institute, and Hyundai Research Institute. On the 12th, he met with CEOs of the top 10 large corporations to listen to their concerns.

Yoon, who advocates a ‘fair economy,’ includes industrial visits in every regional trip. Unlike Lee’s large corporation-centered approach, Yoon focuses mainly on on-site visits to industrial complexes and research parks. He toured specialized industrial complexes such as Daedeok Research Complex (Daejeon), Cheongju Advanced Cultural Industry Complex (Chungbuk), Gwangju AI Data Center (Gwangju), Namdong Industrial Complex small and medium enterprises (Incheon), and Bongam Industrial Complex Business Council (Changwon), promising labor reforms and corporate support.

Lee Holds Fairness Dialogue with Michael Sandel
Yoon’s Meetings with Citizens Related to Incidents Also Draw Attention

◇Unusual Meetings Emphasizing Candidate ‘Identity’ Also Draw Attention= On December 21 last year, Lee held a dialogue on fairness with Michael Sandel, author of ‘Justice: What’s the Right Thing to Do?’ During his ‘Mae-ta-bus’ tour in Gyeongbuk, he attempted to visit Dokdo but, unable to do so, conducted a video call with the Dokdo Coast Guard. This is interpreted as his determination not to leave the issue of ‘fairness,’ a topical issue of the era, to Yoon’s side and to emphasize that he is a candidate who also focuses on ‘security and national interest.’

On the other hand, Yoon reveals his identity by selecting unique individuals to meet during regional visits. His strategy is to meet citizens directly related to specific incidents to hear their difficulties, which has the advantage of conveying sincerity beyond simple ‘policy’ announcements. During his visit to Gangwon Province last month, he met Jeon Junghyun and Byun Jungwoo, who subdued a knife attacker with their bare hands. On the 14th in Changwon, he also met Baek Naksam and Choi Pilsoon, who volunteer free wedding services.

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