March 9 marks the day of the 2022 South Korean presidential election, in which the successor to President Moon Jae-in of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) will be elected. In the running for president are DPK nominee Lee Jae-myung, People Power Party (PPP) nominee Yoon Seok-youl, Justice Party nominee Sim Sang-jung, and People Party nominee Ahn Cheol-soo. The upcoming 20th presidential election will determine whether the ruling liberal DPK will be able to retain power within Korean politics or whether the conservative PPP can spur a change of leadership in the Blue House.
Selling Policies with the Help of Digital Campaigns
As with all presidential elections, the two main political parties in Korea have attempted to summarize and promote their policies through easy-to-remember mottos. The motto for the PPP is Sincerity, Change, and Responsibility. Yoon has emphasized the need for credible change, especially related to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), low economic growth, and the crises facing liberal democracy and the market economy. On the other hand, the DPK has emphasized Economy and Integration. In particular, Lee has been promoting Leejaenomics (Lee Jae Myung + Economics) with a number of ambitious economic policies designed to facilitate the recovery of Korea’s economy as his main objective for 2022.
The use of digital campaigns has been a new feature of this year’s election season, with the candidates have been utilizing social media platforms such as YouTube Shorts and Instagram. For example, Lee uploaded a video on YouTube about his policy to include treatment for bald people in the national health insurance system. Lee is also planning to use a form of cryptocurrency, non-fungible tokens (NFTs), to fund his election campaign. If he receives a donation, the DPK will send digital images of Lee and his policies to the donor. The plans to use these NFTs are underway and, with their implementation, Korea will become the first country in which NFTs have been used in a presidential election. This transition towards digital platforms has been largely sparked by the growing importance of the MZ generation – those in their 20s and 30s – as possible swing voters that will decide the election. Because this generation is accustomed to Internet and digital technologies, the candidates are actively using new media to communicate with young voters.
Nevertheless, the incorporation of digital media in campaigns has had its fair share of criticism. For example, the spread of social media has only aggravated the voters’ political biases. Because social media algorithms tend to highlight content that reflects the user’s preferences, voters are likely to only encounter information that supports what they already believe or desire rather than explaining the opposition’s logic. In addition, online campaigns mask the most important consideration when choosing a candidate- their policies, while inducing the voters focus on secondary characteristics, such as appearance and personal charm. Thus, it is difficult to claim that the current IT campaigns have contributed to a constructive and healthy political debate.
Domestic Policies and Trends in the 2022 Election
The tendency of the MZ generation to value practical policies that suit the needs of an individual has strengthened the influence of populism in the upcoming election. To appeal to many centrist voters, micro-pledges, which refer to policies that impact the lives of individuals rather than influencing the economy as a whole, have been widely used by both candidates. According to Weekly Josun, politician Kim Jae-Sub explained that candidates are expected to offer policies with a long-term vision, which cannot be achieved using micro-pledges. Despite this, the two main candidates have utilized them to get the attention of voters.
Lee has mainly pledged to improve health and welfare services. He plans on extending the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) coverage to include necessities such as hair regrowth treatment and dental implants, which is timely because the public has requested that these treatments be made more affordable for some time. The NHIS remains an important issue in policymaking because South Korea boasts one of the best welfare-state-developed programs in the world, and small decisions regarding welfare and improved quality of life can affect all of its citizens.
Lee's other plans in education have also caught the attention of young voters. In recent years, cases of students from powerful families gaining admission to institutes unfairly have led the public to push for reform for the college entrance system. In response to this, Lee plans to establish a committee for college entrance that operates independently, with members ranging from students to professionals who oversee college entrance and request necessary amendments. With this policy, Lee hopes to implement an impartial education system that minimizes discrimination.
On the other hand, Yoon has focused heavily on transportation, with plans to freeze the rates for charging electric vehicles, which have been steadily increasing each year in Korea. This is part of his desire to expand the electric vehicle market by promoting the development of renewable resources to power charging stations and funding scientific research into these vehicles. Another transportation pledge is to introduce a commuter pass that is also applied to transfers for bus passengers, which were only allowed on subways previously. This has gained the attention of students and commuters, who spend heavily on transportation.
Yoon’s most controversial policy is to abolish the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, which he has publicly referred to as “a waste of taxpayer money”, in order to appeal to young male voters. According to Foreign Policy, Yoon said that “the ministry has failed to address those in their 20s and 30s, disappointing the younger generation”. The PPP candidate thinks that it is too late for any last-minute changes and the ministry should be abolished.
Diplomatic and Economic Policies
Korea’s position in the complicated web of international politics means that the candidates’ diplomatic policies need to be carefully examined prior to the election. On the more pragmatic side is Lee, who approaches global affairs with a sense of independent, collaborative defiance. A strong supporter of the alliance with the United States (U.S.), especially on national defense, Lee aims to broaden it to sectors such as economy and technology. With regard to China, Lee acknowledges its crucial role in preventing North Korea’s nuclearization, thus he values a balance between global affairs and foreign diplomacy. In regard to inter-Korean policies, Lee’s objective is to further the narrative of peace with North Korea. Because the complete denuclearization of North Korea is doubtful, building trust by signing a declaration is the first step towards achieving peace on the peninsula. Lee will more firmly establish the path for relations with North Korea after assessing the policies of the current administration.
As for Yoon, his diplomatic strategy is characterized by maintaining prosperity within international society. As such, Yoon has been less interested in maintaining relations between China and Korea. During an event held at the American Chamber of Commerce, Yoon stated that “most Koreans, especially the young, do not like China. Most Chinese hate Koreans too,” which later became the target of much criticism. Yoon’s policy on inter-Korean relations also differs from that of Lee. Yoon plans to take a systematic approach in correspondence to North Korea’s actions. He does not plan to lift sanctions imposed by the United Nations (UN) Security Council on North Korea because it would be difficult to restore international relationships if North Korea breaks the agreement. Instead, Yoon intends to find other methods for providing economic or humanitarian aid.
Overall, professor Kim Heung-Kyu (Director of the US-China Policy Institute, Ajou University) has defined Lee’s diplomatic policy as a continuation from the current administration, where the main focus is on the denuclearization of North Korea and inducing both U.S. and China for cooperation. Yoon focuses more on strengthening the alliance with U.S, while also taking the new global order into account. For the two candidates, professor also emphasized the importance of finding diverse ways to tackle the increasingly complex strategic war between U.S. and China. He called for a diplomatic breakthrough, where Korea must not rely on old habitual perceptions and test multiple scenarios on possible situations for an implementation of successful diplomatic policies. Political decisions without necessary contemplation and sufficient understanding of the respected areas could be met with harsh consequences. For the future of Korea, a constructive discourse including politicians and professionals must be held in order to decide what the best diplomatic strategies are.
The clear differences between the candidates are not only apparent in their approaches to diplomacy; economic policies have also been a focus of contention. Lee’s “Leejaenomics” is a blueprint for intensive reform. For example, Lee remains positive about establishing a universal basic income (UBI). Lee’s UBI plan is to distribute 250,000 Korean Won (KRW) to all of citizens in cash subsidies yearly starting from next year. Lee believes that all Korean citizens have the right to share the national wealth, at least partially. Lee has designed his economic plans in order to distinguish them from Yoon in order to gain support from a wider range of voters. Based on these fresh policies, Lee’s plan involves government intervention in the economy.
In contrast, Yoon has focused on the private sector. Yoon believes that the creativity of the private sector and the efficiency of the market economy can be used to reform the economy. He has proposed the alleviation of regulations on the real estate market in order to ensure a sufficient supply of housing. Thus, the contrast in the public- and private-sector-based economic policies of the two candidates has been used to establish their identity in the presidential race.
Distrust and Disunity
Political polarization has dominated Korean politics, not just between the political parties but also internally. Issues arising from internal disunity have plagued the PPP, highlighted by Yoon’s complete overhaul of his election campaign committee just two months ahead of the election. This was preceded by the resignations of many PPP chiefs, including Kim Chong-in – considered the kingmaker within his party – from his position as general chairman of the election campaign committee. This abrupt change has raised questions about Yoon’s leadership, with Kim commenting that there is “no vision for how Yoon will run the country if he becomes president,” as reported by the Korea Times.
Nevertheless, some remain hopeful for Yoon’s campaign because he successfully retained party chairman Lee Jun-Seok after his initial resignation. Chairman Lee’s initial departure was instigated by factionalism after altercations between him and the committee’s public relations chief Cho Su-jin. The dispute revolved around allegations surrounding Yoon’s wife falsifying her credentials on her job applications, and this quickly spiraled into ad hominem attacks, with Cho sharing YouTube videos that targeted Lee Jun-Seok for his mental health and encouraged his resignation. Pressuring Cho to resign from the campaign, Lee Jun-Seok eventually canceled his official campaign events and began a personal regional tour in December 2021.
The discord between Cho and Lee Jun-Seok is only one example of the conflict the latter has faced within the PPP. Directly quarreling with Yoon on various matters, including the campaign’s personnel plan and Yoon’s chief appointments, Lee Jun-Seok has been very open about his boycotting of supreme council meetings in the future and his discontent regarding the PPP. At the height of the conflict, a general meeting was held on January 6 to discuss a resolution to remove Lee Jun-Seok, but it seems that both Lee Jun-Seok and Yoon have agreed to reconcile and look pasts their misunderstandings. However, whether this ceasefire holds firm remains in question, with Professor Shin Yul (Political Science, Myongji University) claiming that the so-called reconciliation is simply a “patch up of their conflicts for their political ends.”
Despite Yoon’s latest efforts to bolster unity within the PPP, the election committee has failed to fully regain public support, and his approval rates have been in decline. According to a poll conducted from January 4 to 6 by the Gallup Korea Research Institute, Yoon’s support decreased to 26 percent, nine percentage points lower than the previous poll conducted in mid-December 2021. With the ruling DPK leading with 36 percent support, this has effectively put the PPP in the hot seat.
In response, calls for a coalition with other minor opposition parties have arisen. In this case, the need to ally would extend beyond the upcoming election due to the DPK majority in the National Assembly, which would hinder the PPP's vision for governance. This pressure has increased with the unexpected rise in support for Ahn to 15 percent in January, up by 10 percentage points from the previous month. Nevertheless, the possibility of a coalition has been turned down by Ahn himself.
The Rise of Smear Campaigns
Much of the rhetoric surrounding the 2022 elections has focused on the controversy over the slander between the leading parties. The tight race between the candidates has encouraged both campaigns to use mudslinging tactics to sway swing voters. Although the results of this have dominated the Korean news, with major allegations breaking in succession, whether they have succeeded in persuading centrist voters remains open to questions. Surveys by Research & Research conducted in December 2021 illustrated that Ahn, who has stayed out of the mudslinging, had garnered the highest support among respondents in their 20s, with 49.3 percent citing his morality and capability as reasons for their support.
Nonetheless, the smear campaigns have continued during the 2022 presidential race. The PPP has accused Lee of being part of a “family of criminals,” referring to his son’s illegal gambling and his nephew, who brutally murdered two women in 2006. Lee’s own past of drunk driving and his abusive language towards his mother-in-law have also been brought to light by the PPP. The PPP’s publicity team even distributed an infographic that claimed, “Lee Jae-Myung does it! Cussing out his sister-in-law.” However, the gravest allegations have centered around Lee’s involvement in the Daejang-dong development scandal. The land development project from 2015 has been investigated as a corruptive profit distribution scheme that amassed massive gains for certain private corporations while leading to losses for the city.
As mayor of Seongnam at the time, Lee was responsible for the management of Seongnam city officials and the employees of its institutions. Although Lee has expressed regret for an employee under his supervision being involved in "something unsavory", as reported by the Korea JoongAng Daily, Lee still denies having any direct connection to the scandal. Nevertheless, suspicions have increased due to Lee’s contradictory statements related to his relationship with a main suspect in the scandal who was found dead in his office on December 22, 2021.
The DPK has tried to play down the significance of these allegations by also targeting Yoon’s family, especially his wife Kim Keon-hee. The Democratic Party has attacked Kim’s physical appearance, with party member Son Hye-won uploading past pictures of Kim suggesting that she had undergone cosmetic surgery. Though ungrounded and lacking any political weight, these criticisms are likely an attempt to dramatize allegations plaguing Kim regarding her falsified credentials. Brought to light by the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency after multiple complaints had been filed against her, Kim’s fabrications allegedly involve embellishing resumes sent to Suwon Women’s University and Anyang University to apply for teaching positions. Kim and Yoon have both publicly apologized for the controversies surrounding Kim’s past career history.
The current dynamics of Korean politics appear to validate the use of smear campaigns to stir the waters of the presidential election. Nonetheless, fluctuating public opinion and the vicious attacks on the reputations of both candidates suggest that effective governance may be difficult for either candidate. Additionally, the major role of swing voters in determining the outcome of the upcoming election poses a potential obstacle to the president’s legitimacy. In particular, with a large portion of voters persuaded by the smear campaigns and less informed about policy promises, more unrest regarding their presidential agenda can be anticipated in the future.
Underneath the discord surrounding the 2022 presidential election there still lies the optimistic prospect of more inclusive and immersive politics in Korea. With the emergence of populist policies and digital campaigning, the 2022 presidential election marks a change in Korean politics. However, with the rise in the number of swing voters and those oblivious to political reality, the use of mass media to propagate scandals has overshadowed the political substance of the election campaign. Ultimately, to improve Korean politics, politicians must effectively communicate with each other, consider long-term policies, and manage healthy political discussion.
