[Video] "Mom, what is this?" Ruling Party Presidential Hopefuls Dance and Rap... MZ Generation's 'Sigh' [Seunggon Han's Political Notebook]

Democratic Party Presidential Candidates Actively Campaign on Online Platforms Targeting Young Voters
Lee Nak-yeon Enjoys 'LoL' Game with Youth Wearing Headset... LoL ID is 'Yeoni'
Chung Sye-kyun Appears on 'TikTok' in Hip-Hop Style with Leather Jacket, Jeans, and Gold Ring
Park Yong-jin Dances to 'Brave Girls' 'Rollin'' in Office
Choi Moon-soon Creates 'Buca' and Debuts as New Singer 'Choimegi (MEGI)'

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon, PD Yoon Jin-geun] "I'm really curious, who is the aide?" , "Ah, this is really not okay ㅠㅠ"

The next presidential candidates of the Democratic Party of Korea attempted an image makeover, but judging by the comments, the results are disastrous. Although it is a lively image commonly seen during election seasons, many criticize it as being overdone and question whether it is an act aimed at winning votes.

Also, with the first-ever 30-something party leader emerging from the People Power Party in constitutional history, there are criticisms that this is a kind of 'spoon-feeding' to court the youth vote.

One netizen criticized in the comments, "I really couldn't believe my eyes. I think I now understand the image of 'young people' that the Democratic Party envisions." Experts expressed concern that while image transformations can be attempted during election seasons, this may appear as a failure to properly understand the thoughts of today's youth.

Former Democratic Party leader Lee Nak-yeon visited the League of Legends (LOL) Park stadium in Gwanghwamun, Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 14th and enjoyed playing the game 'LOL'. Lee said, "I was surprised that a world I never imagined existed right in the heart of Jongno, Seoul, and I was glad to discover a world where our youth can improve their skills and pursue their dreams."

Lee's appearance that day can be seen as an attempt to engage with the MZ generation (Millennials + Generation Z) by enjoying a game popular among 20s and 30s youth. He used the gaming nickname 'Yeoni,' a nickname given by his supporters.

On the 14th, former Democratic Party leader Lee Nak-yeon was seen playing a game. Photo by Lee Nak-yeon Camp

Earlier, in April, Democratic Party lawmaker Park Yong-jin shared a video of himself dancing to Brave Girls' song 'Rollin'. On the 10th, Park uploaded another video titled 'The Full Story of Park Yong-jin Rollin Incident' on his YouTube channel, inviting the people who helped make the dance video.

In an interview on CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show' on the 15th, Park said about his 'Rollin' dance, "It's a bit embarrassing that it became a hot topic, but the people who suggested filming it were 20 years old."

Democratic Party lawmaker Park Yong-jin is standing up and performing the 'Rollin'' dance. Photo by Park Yong-jin (TikTok capture)

In the video, when a young person's phone rings with the 'Rollin' ringtone during a meeting, Park says, "What are you doing now? Get up and dance quickly!" and then dances.

Former Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun appeared on the social media platform TikTok dressed in so-called 'hip-hop fashion' with a leather jacket and sunglasses.

He appeared wearing a leather jacket, jeans, and gold rings, but when he clapped his hands, his outfit seemed to magically change into a magician's costume, then changed again into another outfit. Finally, he wore a white T-shirt with the phrase 'Dokdo is Korean territory.'

Governor Choi Moon-soon of Gangwon Province created a 'buca' (short for 'buccharacter') and appeared on his official YouTube channel. 'Buca' is a newly coined term meaning a new identity or persona different from one's usual self, frequently used by the MZ generation recently.

On the 9th, Governor Choi introduced his buca, rookie singer 'Choi Megi (MEGI),' wearing a teddy bear T-shirt on his YouTube channel. The intention was to act like a catfish that injects vitality into the Democratic Party primary. On the 14th, he also released a music video for the song 'Don't Worry,' which features a repeatedly looping chorus.

Gangwon Governor Choi Moon-soon is performing as his alter ego, a rookie singer. Photo captured from the YouTube channel 'Choi Moon-soon TV'

The problem lies in the harsh judgment of the youth. While the intention to reach out to young people is good, many criticize it as being over the top. Kim, a late-20s office worker, said, "A GIF was posted in a group chat, so I watched it," and criticized, "At first, I wondered what this was." He added, "It lacks credibility and just reads as a message saying, 'We are trying this hard, so you should be grateful.' The Democratic Party really messed up."

Another early-20s university student, Choi, said, "I was so shocked after watching it briefly that I turned it off," and raised her voice, "If you look at the article comments, it's ridiculous. I wonder what this is supposed to be."

Park, a 30-something office worker, questioned, "Do they really sincerely think that young people will vote for them if they do this? I wonder why they are doing this." He suggested, "It would be better to just act normally and explain welfare or other policies for the younger generation."

Experts said that while attempting an image makeover is good, it can be perceived as a vote-conscious act and may backfire.

Political commentator Lee Jong-hoon analyzed, "This reflects a sense of crisis that 'if you are seen as an old-fashioned person, you will be immediately rejected.'" He added, "The problem is that if you don't properly read the trends, it can lead to bad results." He emphasized, "From the Democratic Party's perspective, they cannot help but be conscious of Lee Jun-seok, the 30-something party leader who rides a 'Ddareungi' bike and takes the subway, and this situation seems related." He also said, "Suddenly coming out like this can raise doubts about sincerity."