The main parties’ leaders are seeking to adopt a casual approach on the campaign trail as part of last-ditch efforts to resonate with the general population and attract more supporters ahead of the parliamentary race.
With the parties’ public debate and media appearances dedicated to elaboration on their election pledges and policy agendas, a less formal and easygoing approach appears to be the norm on the ground where the politicians meet with voters face-to-face.
Saenuri chairman Rep. Kim Moo-sung gives a piggyback ride to Park Jong-hee, the party’s candidate for Suwon in Gyeonggi Province. (Yonhap)
The ruling Saenuri Party’s chairman Rep. Kim Moo-sung, for instance, is making full use of his “big brother” charm -- he is known by his supporters to be hearty and valorous. The chairman, who has been elected for five consecutive terms in Busan since 1996, has showcased his ability to engage with voters -- sometimes using self-deprecating jokes to vouch for candidates.
“This guy can get the president on the phone, which is something I can’t do,” said Kim on Monday at a rally he attended to support former presidential spokesman Min Kyung-wook. The former journalist is running for the Yeonsu district in Incheon.
One of Kim’s signature tactics on the campaign trail is “giving a piggyback ride” to some of the party’s other candidates. The seasoned politician has been traveling to constituencies likely to be closely fought to give candidates a boost, touting that candidates he has supported have never been defeated at the polls.
The Minjoo Party of Korea’s chief Kim Chong-in dances with supporters during a campaign in Gangseo-gu, Seoul. (Yonhap)
The main opposition The Minjoo Party of Korea’s leader Kim Chong-in appears to be following in the footsteps of the Saenuri leader Kim. The 76-year-old politician set a causal tone for the election campaign by wearing a wig colored in the party’s official hue, dancing alongside younger supporters of the party.
The move represents a shift from the usual style of the former economist who has often made elaborate speeches on the economy and policies centering on statistics. Kim has never been elected via a direct vote in a constituency, but has served four terms through proportional representation.
On April 1, the first day of the party’s official campaign, Kim filled his speech with pledges containing numbers and statistics. “We will give the young people 700,000 jobs. ... We will give a 300,000-won ($260) pension to all senior citizens whose income falls in the bottom 70 percent,” he said.
People’s Party cochairman Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo plays soccer with his party’s candidates running in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province. (Yonhap)
Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo, the leader of the People’s Party, is one of the best examples of a politician who has turned over a new leaf in his campaigning style. Once considered to be too “aloof” toward realpolitik, the new party’s cochairman is allegedly the first of the party’s leaders to suffer from a hoarse throat during the campaigning period.
“I think I am the healthiest and strongest one among our staff,” said Ahn on Friday when he launched the party’s official campaign in the Nowon district of Seoul. The party official noted he has never been late for his or his supported candidates‘ election campaign stops.
The politician, who was previously a doctor and entrepreneur, also let loose last week by playing a game of soccer with fellow party candidates in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, where the party is enjoying a good lead ahead of competitors.
By Yeo Jun-suk (jasonyeo@heraldcorp.com)
