Lee Shares Analysis on Why 2030 Men Support Hong
Concerns Raised Over Listening Only to Specific Genders
"Lip Service and One-Time Shows Won't Convince 2030 Generation"
Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate, is speaking at the Central Election Countermeasures Committee meeting held at the National Assembly on the 8th. Photo by National Assembly Press Corps [Image source=Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] It has been reported that Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea, shared a post titled 'The reason why 2030 men gathered on Femco (FM Korea) to support Hong (Hong Jun-pyo)' with members of his election campaign committee, sparking controversy. The post criticizes the Moon Jae-in administration's feminist policies and suggests that the candidate should distance himself from feminism to gain the support of men in their 20s and 30s.
While the intention may have been to gather diverse opinions to raise the low approval ratings among the 2030 generation, some voices express concern that the candidate might be listening only to stories biased toward a specific gender.
On the 8th, it was reported that Lee recommended the attendees of the campaign committee meeting to read the post. The post was originally published on the 5th on the pro-government community 'Ddanzi Ilbo,' and the Femco mentioned in the title is known as a community mainly composed of male members. It is also a community where strong support from the 2030 generation for Assemblyman Hong was recently expressed during the People Power Party's presidential primary.
The author of the post explained, "Men in their 20s and 30s can be divided into three categories: university students, unmarried after employment, and newlyweds," adding, "These people are facing great difficulties in employment, marriage, and buying a house."
He continued, "(Men in their 20s and 30s) are a generation struggling to make ends meet. They are more sensitive to fairness than any other generation and cannot tolerate discrimination. So far, no member of the Democratic Party has listened to their circumstances," claiming this is the reason why men in their 20s and 30s have turned their backs on President Moon Jae-in and the Democratic Party.
He also stated, "The people who have most actively discriminated against men through various feminist policies are Democratic Party feminist lawmakers such as Jin Sun-mi and Nam Yoon-in-soon," and questioned, "Democratic Party lawmakers have introduced bills treating young men as potential sex offenders regarding various feminist issues. Is there any reason to support the Democratic Party?"
Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate, is greeting university students at Kyungpook National University in Daegu on the afternoon of the 5th. Photo by Yonhap News
The author analyzed, "The reason they supported Hong Jun-pyo started with disappointment in the Moon Jae-in administration," adding, "It began with various feminist policies, followed by the skyrocketing real estate prices, and finally, political incidents involving Cho Kuk, Park Won-soon, Yoon Seok-youl, and the defeat in the media's right-leaning frame war were significant."
Furthermore, he argued that if Lee wants to gain the support of men in their 20s and 30s, "he must pass legislation representing the voices of young men in Lee Jae-myung's name and differentiate himself from the somewhat feminist-prioritized policies of the Moon Jae-in administration."
Concerns have also been raised about Lee sharing the post. While it may have been an expression of willingness to communicate with the younger generation to target the vulnerable 2030 vote, there are criticisms that he might be listening only to opinions biased toward a specific gender. In particular, since the post finds the reason for the low support among young people in feminist policies and argues that the voices of men in their 20s and 30s should be heard, there are concerns it could trigger gender conflicts.
Lee's camp, regarding the sharing of this post, said in a phone call with the media, "It was to reflect on whether we have properly listened to the positions of men in their 20s and 30s," and explained, "The core of this post is not criticism of feminist policies or the need to differentiate from the Moon Jae-in administration. The key point is that no established politician other than Assemblyman Hong has listened to the voices of young people."
Experts suggested that fundamental remedies are needed to target the 2030 generation. Political commentator Lee Jong-hoon said, "The younger generation has been directly hit by various policies of the Moon Jae-in administration, especially real estate and job shortages," and analyzed, "They are not impressed by populist pledges or policies that hand out free money."
He added, "In capturing the female vote, lip service or one-off shows will not be persuasive," and said, "There needs to be a more fundamental vision presented, but it seems that neither the ruling nor opposition presidential candidates have proposed such pledges."
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