[Political Fandom]⑧ "We Are People Who Love"… Nosamo Different from Recent Fandoms

Healthy Tension Between Supporters and Politicians
Positive Operation Instead of Negative
Political Fan Clubs Resembling Their Leaders

Editor's Note'Fandom' has become an indispensable presence in Korean politics. There is even talk that fandom dominates politics. The Democratic Party actively utilizes fandom as a political asset, following former President Moon Jae-in with 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 escalates 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' ⑥ Politicians suffering from fandom ⑦ Political YouTube channels with 'billion' views ⑧ Nosamo, different from fandom nowadays

There is a name that invariably appears in relation to politician fandoms: 'Noh Sa-mo,' short for 'Noh Moo-hyun Saranghaneun Saramdeul-ui Moim' (People Who Love Noh Moo-hyun). It is considered the beginning of Korean politician fandoms and is often used as a comparison when criticizing current fandom culture. How was Nosamo different from today's fandom?

In the 2002 book published by Nosamo, We Are Nosamo, it is clear that Nosamo's orientation was centered on 'love.' Myung Gye-nam, who introduced himself as a representative worker, said, "We are people who love," and "Even though we may experience many trials and pains, we are people who can melt and overcome all of them with the power of love."

At the time, those involved with Nosamo remembered their respect, love, and dedication to the courageous politician who stood against regionalism, the so-called 'Fool Noh Moo-hyun.'

Seo Gap-won, a former aide to President Noh who served as protocol secretary during the participatory government, recalled, "Nosamo raised voices to save Noh until he stepped down and never showed aggressive behavior toward anyone." Seo, who campaigned in the Gwangju region during the Democratic Party presidential primary, remembered Nosamo's dedication as follows:

"Nosamo was so remarkable that about ten days before the Gwangju primary?which was a turning point in the Millennium Democratic Party primary?a newspaper poll delivered only in Seoul showed Noh Moo-hyun in first place. But since the newspaper was not available in Gwangju, people there didn’t know. We thought if we distributed it in Gwangju, things might change, so we asked for a full truckload. When it arrived, it was so huge that we had no way to distribute it. Nosamo members came by, and when we asked for help, they distributed everything in half a day without complaint. At that time, Nosamo members called voters to persuade them and even visited their homes saying, 'We are from Seoul, please make Noh Moo-hyun president.' Their moving efforts helped Noh win first place in the Gwangju primary."

Nosamo conducted positive election campaigns appealing for support rather than engaging in so-called negative attacks against competing candidates. This aligned with Noh’s philosophy. After becoming president, Noh told his aides, "When political views differ, it is preferable to engage in active support or advocacy rather than opposition, and refusal or opposition should be limited to immoral acts."

What distinguished Nosamo from today's fandoms, often compared to celebrity fandoms, was the healthy tension between the two sides. Although supporters and their object of support were united, they maintained a healthy tension.

Nosamo Hiking_1

There is an anecdote that most succinctly illustrates Nosamo’s character. When Noh Moo-hyun was confirmed as the Millennium Democratic Party presidential candidate in April 2002 and met supporters, he asked, "What will you do if I become president?" Nosamo members repeatedly shouted "Watch" "Watch." They pledged to act as watchdogs to ensure the president properly carried out state affairs. Noh responded, "There are plenty of people who will shake things up besides you," and added, "Please watch me and also watch those who shake things up."

In March 2003, early in his presidency, when struggling with the issue of dispatching troops to Iraq, Noh said at a chief aide meeting, "The era of uniformity is over. Even if political affiliations are the same, opinions differ by issue," and "Even if Nosamo supported me during the election but now says no, there is nothing to be done." He expressed hope that Nosamo would understand the direction he was pursuing but acknowledged that opposition was inevitable.

What kind of relationship did Nosamo and President Noh envision?

Six months before his retirement, in June 2007, Noh sent a video congratulatory message to the Nosamo founding general meeting, showing a glimpse of that relationship. After mentioning the achievements of the participatory government, he said, "I trusted you (Nosamo) and boldly confronted what was right, and faced unfair resistance head-on," attributing the success of reforms to Nosamo. Regarding Nosamo’s future after his presidency, he promised, "Nosamo is not an organization for Noh Moo-hyun. It is a group of people who love the world and want to create a better one," and said, "It will become Nosamo after my term ends." At this event, he left a famous phrase still quoted today.

"The last stronghold of democracy is the organized power of awakened citizens. This is our future."

This was the future Nosamo envisioned by President Noh.

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