[Political Fandom] ⑤ Supporters Worried About 'Fandom Fear'... "Fatigue from Repeated Extreme Politics"

Tired of Aggressive Atmosphere and Unconditional Support
Authoritarian Leadership That Kills Diversity Is Dangerous

Editor's NoteIn Korean politics, 'fandom' has become an indispensable presence. There is even talk that fandom dominates politics. The Democratic Party actively utilizes fandom as a political asset, following former President Moon Jae-in and former leader Lee Jae-myung. Newly appointed People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon also secured party leadership centered around fandom. However, fandom is also criticized for exhibiting extreme behavior that causes political polarization and expands conflicts. We have diagnosed and analyzed the reality and reasons behind fandom politics and examined the possibilities for change. ① "Han Dong-hoon is a tool" "Lee Jae-myung is qualified" ② Activities expanding beyond online and offline to YouTube and media ③ Buying books to raise lawyer fees and relay support on SNS ④ Large numbers in 'Jaemyung's Village' vs high views in 'Withhooni' ⑤ Supporters worried about 'fandom fear'

"Please never put my name in the article."

Song Mo (21, male), who identified himself as a supporter of former Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung, expressed fear of political fandom. The source of his fear was the worry that indirect threats, such as text bombings directed at lawmakers, could also be aimed at him. Song repeatedly emphasized that he supports former leader Lee because of his administrative capabilities and policies like basic income. Yet, he did not hide his disappointment with the Democratic Party, which seems to rely on fandom. He sighed, saying, "It's good that supporters are actively involved, but I can't shake the feeling that they are crossing the line. It won't help Lee's presidential bid at all."

Asia Economy met people who support either conservative or progressive camps but have a strong aversion to fandom politics. They worried that fandom's refusal to allow dialogue in politics might alienate moderate voters. They expressed fatigue toward politicians who focus only on fandom without caring about people's livelihoods.

"Fandoms that don't communicate"

Lee Jae-myung, former leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is signing an autograph for a supporter as he enters the press conference room to declare his candidacy for party leader at the central party office in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 10th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

They viewed fandom as entities incapable of dialogue. Even healthy criticism, a basic element of politics, is not tolerated within fandoms. Song did not join Lee's fan cafe 'Jaemyung's Village' because he dislikes its aggressive atmosphere, despite wanting to engage in political discussions. During the National Assembly Speaker candidate primary, Lee's hardline fandoms raised voices demanding to identify those who voted for Woo Won-sik instead of Democratic Party lawmaker Choo Mi-ae, which Song found incomprehensible. He emphasized that Lee's fandom should remember that Lee himself was once a minority within the party. "Wasn't Lee once a minority in the party? But now, Lee's fandom is attacking and ostracizing those who criticize him, turning them into minorities. This is not right."

There were also negative opinions about the rapidly rising political fandom of People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon. Kim Mo (29, male) said that when he sees Han's supporters, he thinks of "idol fandom." He cited posts praising Han's appearance frequently seen in Han's fan cafe 'Withhooni.' Han's fandom shares photos of him on Withhooni with comments like "handsome," "neat from behind," and "I want to hold his hand." Kim said, "Han's actions in the recent general election clearly showed a disconnect with moderate public sentiment. Apart from the 'Lee Jae-myung and Cho Kuk judgment,' it seems there is no national vision presented by conservatives, but fandoms refuse to accept such criticism and offer unconditional support. I don't see how they differ from the fervent supporters of Lee, known as 'Gaeddal'."

Politicians getting closer to fandom... concerns about alienating moderates

The Democratic Party advocates being a party centered on party members and strives to reflect 'party sentiment' in party operations. In the recent party leadership preliminary election, 25% of the vote was allocated to party members, and in the selection of National Assembly Speaker candidates and floor leaders, 20% of the vote was allocated to party members. Former leader Lee also stated at his party leader candidacy press conference on the 11th, "We must firmly develop the Democratic Party into a mass democratic party centered on party members."

Song worried that Lee, who shows a party member-centered approach, might appear as a dictator. He feared that by only protecting party members, Lee might lose the presidential election. Song cited the Democratic Party's decision to reflect party sentiment in the National Assembly Speaker candidate primary as an example. "The Democratic Party cannot be the ruling party forever. Someday, they might have to hand over the Speaker position to the People Power Party, but I don't know how they will handle the aftermath. It feels like they are accumulating karma themselves."

In fact, the Democratic Party's approval ratings remain stagnant despite the government and ruling party's unpopularity. This is interpreted as a failure to capture the hearts of moderates. According to a Gallup Korea poll conducted from the 23rd to 25th of this month among 1,001 voters nationwide aged 18 and older, the Democratic Party's approval rating was 27%, trailing behind the People Power Party's 35%. President Yoon's negative evaluation of state affairs was 63%, but the Democratic Party has failed to channel dissatisfaction with the current administration. In a Realmeter poll commissioned by Energy Economy Newspaper from the 15th to 19th of this month among 2,506 voters aged 18 and older nationwide, the Democratic Party's approval rating was 33.2%, lower than President Yoon's 34.5%.

Choi Mo (31, male), classified as a moderate who voted for former President Moon Jae-in in the 19th presidential election and President Yoon in the 20th, said he does not feel a big difference between former leader Lee and President Yoon. If he had to distinguish, he pointed out that Lee has a strong fandom that supports him no matter what, while President Yoon is unpopular. "One of President Yoon's biggest flaws is being dogmatic, and Lee seems the same. He says he just followed the will of party members, but when some members send text bombings that kill diversity within the party, Lee actually neglects it."

Want cooperation but "don't expect much"

Speaker Woo Won-shik and the floor leaders of the ruling and opposition parties are meeting in the Speaker's office at the National Assembly on the 16th. From the left, Choo Kyung-ho, floor leader of the People Power Party, Speaker Woo, and Park Chan-dae, floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

Those not belonging to fandoms called for political cooperation but did not have high expectations. Song said, "Politics is becoming polarized as it only looks at extreme fandoms," and "Current political discussions are nothing but finger-pointing, not constructive debate or opinion sharing, which is exhausting." Kim pointed out that ultimately, the people suffer. He lamented, "If the main opposition party dominates standing committees and the president responds by using veto power, only the people suffer. If politicians only focus on showing their presence to fandoms to survive, who will care about important issues like people's livelihoods, administration, and the economy?"

Concerns continue to be raised that fandom-based politics will accelerate political polarization. According to the Korea Institute of Public Administration's 'Public Perception Survey on the Status of Political Polarization and Institutional Alternatives in Korea,' as of last year, 92.6% of respondents said conflicts between conservative and progressive camps are severe. This is a higher perception than conflicts between Yeongnam and Honam regions (84.3%) or between wealthy and working-class groups (80.6%).

Political commentator Lee Jong-hoon said, "Fandom politics shows negative signs such as the January attack on former leader Lee and the assassination attempt on former U.S. President Donald Trump," and "If politics continues to fail to push out radical fandoms, moderates may become politically indifferent."

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