"Jaemyung Dad! I'm a Devoted Daughter" Stirring Lee Jaemyung's Popularity, Will He Soon Make a Comeback?

After Lee Jae-myung's Narrow Defeat... 'Protect Lee Jae-myung' 2030 Female Supporters Rally
Democratic Party Gains 117,700 New Members from 10th to 15th
'Meme' Using Lee Jae-myung Spreads... Even 'Jaemyung Appa'
Lee Personally Responds to Supporters' Messages
'Lee Jae-myung Comeback Theory' Emerges Within the Party

Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate, is holding a concession press conference for the presidential election on the 10th at the party headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoon Seul-gi] Despite receiving the highest number of votes in the history of the Democratic Party's presidential elections with 16,147,738 votes in the 20th presidential election, Lee Jae-myung, Senior Advisor of the Democratic Party of Korea, ultimately lost. However, support for him has grown stronger since the election. It is analyzed that 2030 women, mainly in female-oriented online communities, are leading internet public opinion by continuously producing memes using Lee, who they affectionately call 'Jaemyung Appa' (Father Jaemyung).

As of the afternoon of the 18th, Lee’s Naver fan cafe 'Jaemyung’s Village' is on the verge of surpassing 120,000 members. The fan cafe was established on the 10th, after the election ended, and the number of members has explosively increased, exceeding 100,000 in just seven days. The total number of posts is 145,126, indicating active participation from members.

Not only online but also offline, 2030 women are expressing their support for Lee through a rush of new memberships in the Democratic Party. According to the Democratic Party’s Emergency Committee on the 17th, from the 10th to the 15th, immediately after the 20th presidential election, 117,700 new registered party members joined, with 70% of new members in the Chungbuk Provincial Party being young women.

The growing support for Lee is attributed to the spread of public opinion among 2030 women centered on 'protecting Lee Jae-myung.' As investigations related to various allegations surrounding Lee, which surfaced during the presidential race, are expected to resume, and concerns arise that his political comeback may be difficult as he is considered part of the party’s minority faction, supporters have united in response.

In women-centered online communities, a meme was created comparing Lee Jae-myung, the Standing Advisor of the Democratic Party of Korea, to a chinchilla. Photo by Online Community Capture.

In female-centered online communities such as 'Yeoseong Sidae' (Women’s Era), 'Theqoo,' and 'Millitory,' the 'Moon Jae-in model' is being proposed, suggesting that Lee should become the party leader at the August party convention and lead the Democratic Party. This model refers to Moon Jae-in, who, after losing to former President Park Geun-hye, became party leader and then secured the presidency. Similarly, Lee is expected to first gain party leadership.

They are also working hard to shed Lee’s unfavorable image by creating memes based on his external characteristics and statements. For example, they bring up a past blog post where Lee wrote about wanting to have a daughter, calling him 'Jaemyung Appa' and themselves 'Gaeddal' (meaning having a quirky personality). They also actively post explanations re-examining the context of a video from when Lee was mayor of Seongnam, which was known for allegedly mistreating disabled people.

Many users from women-centered communities have 공개ed the replies they received from Lee Jae-myung, Senior Advisor of the Democratic Party of Korea.
/Photo by Online Community Capture.

With strong demands for 'Lee Jae-myung’s return' centered on 2030 women both online and offline, there is speculation that Lee’s political restart will happen sooner. Lee himself is responding to messages sent by supporters and strengthening direct communication with them.

Meanwhile, voices calling for Lee’s comeback are also emerging within the Democratic Party. On the 14th, Representative Kim Doo-kwan posted on his Facebook, urging, "I hope you will reconsider having Senior Advisor Lee Jae-myung lead the local elections as Emergency Committee Chair." He emphasized, "Based on his achievements as mayor of Seongnam and governor of Gyeonggi Province, Lee Jae-myung is a symbol of grassroots reform and local autonomy."

Representative Lee Soo-jin (Seoul Dongjak-eul) also supported the 'Lee Jae-myung comeback theory' on Facebook the same day, urging amendments to party regulations so that members who joined after the presidential election can vote in the August party convention. She said, "Many people have joined the Democratic Party after the presidential election, showing support for the party’s change and for candidate Lee Jae-myung." She added, "For the Democratic Party, where members are the owners, it is urgent to amend party regulations to reduce the number of party fee payments required for voting rights from six to three times and to reflect 50% of registered members’ opinions in the preliminary party leader election."

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