[Presidential Election D-1 Month Policy Analysis] 'Detailed Livelihood Policies' Lee 61 vs Yoon 50... 11 Similarities

Overuse of 'Micro Promises' for Livelihood Gains Without Knowing Whose Pledge It Is

[Asia Economy Reporters Oh Ju-yeon and Kwon Hyun-ji] The most notable feature of this year's presidential election is the 'detailed livelihood policies' presented by each candidate. These are tailored, everyday-life-focused pledges targeting specific generations and groups, aiming to capture votes in every corner. However, there are concerns that amid the flood of 'micro policies' without grand narratives, there is a risk of falling into populism. Moreover, in the rush to attract attention, the pledges themselves are becoming increasingly similar.

On the 4th, Asia Economy analyzed the livelihood-focused pledges of Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party and Yoon Seok-youl of the People Power Party and found that a total of 11 pledges overlapped, including expanding health insurance, supporting electric vehicles, aiding small and medium-sized enterprise workers, environmental improvements, and expanding leisure activities.

So far, Lee has announced a total of 61 small but certain happiness (sohwakhaeng) pledges, while Yoon, who started announcing livelihood-focused pledges somewhat later, has released a total of 49 pledges combining his 'Heart-throbbing pledges' and '59-second shorts lifestyle pledges.' Since these are livelihood-focused pledges, the groups that directly benefit have shown enthusiastic responses. Lee's sohwakhaeng pledges gained significant attention starting with his announcement to apply health insurance coverage to hair loss treatments. As a result, both sides are competitively courting specific voters with targeted pledges.

However, as they release about one pledge per day, the distinctiveness between the two candidates' pledges is diminishing. When Lee's pledge to support hair loss treatment sparked heated interest, even spawning the catchphrase 'Lee Jae-myung plants [hair]' in communities, Yoon promised to expand health insurance coverage for continuous glucose monitors for diabetes patients. When Lee proposed implant support, Yoon countered by arguing that health insurance expansion should prioritize critically ill patients whose lives depend on it rather than hair loss or implants, announcing support for severe disease and rare cancer treatments. Although the target groups differ, both candidates share the common feature of expanding health insurance coverage.

Policies for children and infants are also similar. Lee pledged to expand the usage of child meal cards and increase meal support rates, while Yoon promised to provide breakfast to all elementary students and lunch during vacations, committing to meal support. Both candidates also pledged to increase funding for developmental disability support for infants and young children. Amid the flood of livelihood-focused pledges, there is criticism that they are becoming so similar that it is hard to tell whose pledge is whose.

Political commentator Lee Jong-hoon analyzed, "Ultimately, it becomes a battle over who can attract more centrist voters, so very similar pledges emerge in the later stages of the election," adding, "As both sides complement each other's lacking pledges, the distinctiveness diminishes." He explained, "For example, in the last presidential election between Park Geun-hye and Moon Jae-in, when Moon proposed reducing military service to 18 months, Park initially rejected it but eventually accepted it. It's about calculating votes." He continued, "They calculate which pledge resonates with which group and respond with counter-pledges, eventually becoming similar."

Since most of these are populist support pledges, securing funding is also uncertain. Um Kyung-young, director of the Era Spirit Research Institute, said, "In the past, pledges were divided by ideology such as conservative and progressive or by generations, but this time, pledges are being made centered on the 2030 generation, which is post-ideological and pragmatic, resulting in a different pattern from the past," adding, "However, from a macro perspective, this could undermine South Korea's sustainability, so the focus has been missed."

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