Seo Cheol-mo, the incumbent chief of Daejeon’s Seo District, greets voters while wearing a military helmet, the word for which in Korean is pronounced the same as his name. [SEO CHEOL-MO]
Candidates running in the June 3 local elections are increasingly turning to unconventional campaign tactics, ranging from short YouTube videos to military headwear, to attract voters.
“The era when campaign banners and rallies alone were enough is over,” said one campaign official, referring to a broader shift toward online electioneering.
Short-form video content, often one to two minutes long, has emerged as a particularly popular way for candidates to promote policies and build name recognition.
Heo Tae-jeong, the Democratic Party’s (DP) candidate in the Daejeon mayoral election, has been posting short videos about his visits to commercial neighborhoods and local eateries and sharing updates from the campaign trail.
His campaign said the videos help emphasize “an image closely connected to people’s everyday lives.”
Meanwhile, the People Power Party's (PPP) Lee Jang-woo, the incumbent mayor running for re-election, has released more than 40 short-form videos highlighting his achievements over the past four years and introducing key campaign pledges.
Topics range from why the city’s baseball stadium was built with 20,000 seats to how he brought the German pharmaceutical company Merck and Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration to the city.
“We live in an era where people read news on their phones and judge candidates through YouTube,” Lee’s campaign told the JoongAng Ilbo. “Content competitiveness matters.”
A still from a YouTube video uploaded by Heo Tae-jeong, the Democratic Party's candidate in the Daejeon mayoral race, which shows him eating a bowl of noodles at a local restaurant. [SCREEN CAPTURE]
The emphasis in online campaigning extends beyond Daejeon.
In the North Chungcheong gubernatorial race, DP hopeful Shin Yong-han has uploaded short videos from traditional markets and other sites tied to everyday livelihoods, while incumbent PPP Gov. Kim Young-hwan has posted clips of himself greeting residents across the province.
Others are relying on more meet-and-greet forms of campaigning.
Kim Tae-heum, the PPP governor of South Chungcheong vying to stay in office, has been visiting the offices of mayoral and county chief candidates across the province to sign joint policy agreements.
After stops in Gongju, Cheongyang and Buyeo on Monday, he visited campaign offices in Boryeong and Seocheon the following day, signing agreements tied to local pledges including the construction of the Jicheon Dam in Cheongyang.
“Policy agreements help build trust that campaign pledges will actually be implemented, while naturally increasing contact with voters and party members,” the governor said.
Some candidates are using digital outreach to connect with voters.
The home page of a website launched by Kim Je-seon, the incumbent chief of Daejeon's Jung District [SCREEN CAPTURE]
Kim Je-seon, the incumbent DP chief of Daejeon’s Jung District, launched an online platform, KimJeSeon.com, designed to connect residents directly with his campaign.
The site includes a platform called “Jung District Direct,” through which residents can request visits from the candidate as well as forms for submitting policy suggestions and complaints.
“I opened this page so that I can run immediately to district residents when they call,” Kim said.
Then there are candidates who are leaning into personal branding.
Seo Cheol-mo, the PPP chief of Daejeon’s Seo District seeking another term, has been greeting voters while wearing a military helmet, the word for which in Korean is pronounced the same as his given name.
A former civil servant, Seo said the headgear was intended to project a stronger image.
“I started wearing the helmet because of my name and to emphasize my image as a determined worker,” Seo said.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
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