Freedom and Common Sense Decline, Emphasis on 'Fairness'
Increase in References to Concrete Reality over Values
Shift to Political Speeches with Questions and Use of Daegu Dialect
Concrete Blueprint for Fairness Still Unseen
Yoon Seok-yeol, the presidential candidate of the People Power Party, is attending the first meeting of the Presidential Election Countermeasures Committee held at the National Assembly on the 7th and delivering an opening remark. Photo by Yoon Dong-ju doso7@
[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] Yoon Seok-yeol, the presidential candidate of the People Power Party, declared his political participation on June 29, emphasizing abstract values such as freedom, fairness, and common sense. Five months later, he is now using more concrete and relatable terms like hospital beds and monthly rent. He delivered speeches at three major events: ① the political participation declaration in June, ② the acceptance speech as a presidential candidate on November 5, and ③ the launch ceremony of the election campaign committee on the 6th of this month. We examined what vision Yoon presented and what he emphasized at each speech.
In terms of frequency, the word "freedom" appeared most often in the first speech. However, it showed a sharp decline from ① 22 times → ② 2 times → ③ 2 times. This is interpreted as a response to criticism that his emphasis on this value during the political participation declaration was "too strongly conservative." It appears to be a change resulting from a strategy to expand toward the center in the election campaign.
The word "common sense" also changed from ① 7 times → ② 11 times → ③ 1 time. In the third speech, Yoon mentioned "creating a country where fairness becomes common sense," using the word "fairness" and only once using "common sense." In contrast, the frequency of "fairness" increased significantly. In the approximately 4,100-character first speech, fairness was mentioned 9 times; in the 4,600-character second speech, 13 times; and in the third speech, which was about half the length, fairness was mentioned 8 times. In terms of revealing his goals, he is practically going all-in on "fairness." Yoon claimed himself as the embodiment of the value of fairness, saying, "Everyone talks about fairness, but not everyone can achieve it." However, although he emphasized fairness more with each speech, the concreteness of his vision remains slow to develop. In the third speech, Yoon said, "A fair world where people are rewarded according to their work and treated according to their contributions," but the specific vision or goals of "Yoon Seok-yeol-style" fairness were still not revealed.
The speeches, which saw a decrease in abstract values, were filled with references to concrete realities. Regarding the problem of soaring real estate prices, the second speech described "real estate price surges as 'property plundering,'" whereas this time, more concrete terms that resonate with reality were used, such as "people without homes suffer from soaring jeonse deposits and monthly rents, and homeowners suffer from excessive taxes." Mentioning the issue of COVID-19 intensive care unit beds at the beginning of the speech also marks a shift from past speeches that started by emphasizing "a sense of mission." Unlike previous speeches where he expressed his own thoughts, the speech now frequently uses questions to engage the audience. Sentences have become shorter, and the use of antithesis throughout the speech reflects an adaptation to political speech style.
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