'Suit' Lee Jae-myung, 'Knit' Han Dong-hoon... Campaign Styles Were This Different

Lee Jae-myung Appeals for Support Emphasizing Leadership in Suit
Han Dong-hoon Meets Citizens in Casual Attire... Also Mentions Legislation

With less than a month remaining until the general election, the leaders of the two major parties have begun actively campaigning in support of their local candidates. Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, typically wears a suit and tie when visiting campaign sites, while Han Dong-hoon, emergency committee chairman of the People Power Party, usually dons a hooded jumper and turtleneck knit. Lee, a charismatic agitator type, contrasts with Han, who is proactive in friendly physical contact. We analyzed the distinct campaign styles of these two figures, starting from their fashion choices.

Lee emphasizes 'charisma' with neat styling

When Lee ran in the last presidential election, he also favored wearing suits. Possibly due to the large crowds and limited time, he focused more on delivering prepared speeches from the podium rather than engaging in deep conversations with merchants. He responded to photo requests from the gathering citizens with a smile and briefly crouched in front of stalls to greet merchants. During his visit to Cheonan, Chungnam on the 11th, Lee smiled in response to teenagers calling out "It's Lee Jae-myung" and continued his outdoor speech despite rain.

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is greeting merchants at Hongseong Traditional Market located in Hongseong County, Chungnam, on the 11th.
Photo by Oh Ji-eun

“We can’t live like this, let’s judge!” Emphasizing regime judgment

From the 4th to the 11th, Lee visited campaign sites five times and mentioned 'judgment' 49 times. His messaging matches his styling with a somewhat strict, solemn, and serious tone. Starting in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 4th, he visited Yeongdeungpo-gu on the 5th, Yangcheon-gu on the 6th, Yangpyeong-gun, Gyeonggi on the 7th, and Hongseong-gun and Cheonan-si, Chungnam on the 11th. Each time, he emphasized the 'regime judgment theory.' Addressing supporters gathered on site, he began by asking, "Are you living well?" He called April 10 "Judgment Day" and urged voters to show their evaluation of the Yoon Seok-yeol administration’s governance through their votes. At the end of his speeches, he led the chant "We can’t live like this," asking supporters to respond with "Let’s judge."

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is giving a speech in support of the Democratic Party during a press conference held on the 11th in Cheonan, Chungnam.
Photo by Oh Ji-eun

The enthusiastic and active responses from supporters who visited the sites according to Lee’s schedule were also notable. Not only residents but many citizens dressed in blue to express their support attended the sites Lee visited. Among YouTubers trying to capture close-up footage of him, fierce 'body fights' for closer spots broke out. These gathered supporters responded with "That's right" at the end of Lee’s sentences and expressed affectionate remarks such as "Handsome" and "I’m moved to tears." On the 7th in Yangpyeong, when a reporter asked Lee about nomination conflicts, one supporter reacted by calling it a "nonsense question." Lee eased the atmosphere by saying, "Don’t overreact. I can answer," while another supporter tried to stop the confrontation by saying, "That’s not right."

Yoon Seok-yeol’s 'uppercut,' Han Dong-hoon’s 'jump shot'

If President Yoon Seok-yeol’s trademark during the presidential campaign was the uppercut, Han Dong-hoon’s is the 'jump shot.' He steps onto a podium or box and jumps. This is a gesture to show his and the candidates’ faces to supporters far away and to allow photos to be taken.

Han Dong-hoon, Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, is greeting citizens during his visit to Wonju Central Market in Gangwon on February 26. On the left is Assemblyman Park Jeong-ha, and on the right is preliminary candidate Kim Wan-seop.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Han’s jump shot first appeared during a visit to the traditional market at Gyeyangsan in Incheon. He stepped onto a plastic box used for carrying milk and jumped together with Won Hee-ryong, candidate for Incheon Gyeyang-gu E, appealing to supporters. On the 26th of last month, during a visit to Wonju, Gangwon Province, the jump shot stage grew larger and the material changed because the number of candidates increased from one to two. Han performed a jump shot on a prepared wooden podium together with Park Jeong-ha (Gangwon Wonju-si Gap) and Kim Wan-seop (Gangwon Wonju-si E) candidates.

Additionally, Han actively supports candidates from the same party by making heart shapes with his arms together with candidates or feeding market food directly to them. On the 8th, when Han visited Sujeong-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi Province, candidate Jang Young-ha (Gyeonggi Seongnam-si Sujeong-gu) asked supporters to shout Han’s name. Han pointed to Jang and encouraged supporters to cheer for him.

Selfies, autographs, handshakes: Han Dong-hoon’s friendly on-site physical contact

When Han campaigns at local markets and intersections, supporters and citizens flood him with requests for photos, autographs, and handshakes. Crowds of supporters and security personnel gather around Han, making it difficult to walk properly, but Han tries to take selfies with citizens’ phones whenever possible. He hugs market merchants’ children and even suggests taking photos with the shop’s signboard in the background. On the 23rd of last month, when Han visited Gyeyangsan traditional market, a male supporter approached asking for an autograph, which security tried to block. However, Han decided to sign and move on, calming the commotion.

Handonghun, Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, is greeting people on the street at Jungang Market Intersection, Sujeong-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do on the morning of the 8th.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Even when standing on a podium during on-site schedules, Han not only takes selfies but also holds the hands of supporters reaching out to him.

“When magnolias bloom in April”... Ruling party emphasizes 'practicality'

Han often says "When magnolias bloom in April" during his on-site speeches. This means that if the People Power Party wins the April 10 general election and becomes the majority party, it will pass bills to resolve long-standing local projects. This approach appeals to the advantages of being the ruling party while soliciting support. Even when he visited Lafesta in Ilsan the day before, Han said, "When magnolias bloom in April, we will make Goyang City part of Seoul. We will improve the lives of Goyang citizens." During a meeting with citizens at Lafesta, Han asked Bae Jun-young, chairman of the Gyeonggi-Seoul Renovation Task Force (TF) who was present, "The (one-shot) bill is ready, right?" and also said, "The procedure seems simpler than expected; isn’t it just a matter of passing the law in the National Assembly?"

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