"Who Exactly Are We Voting For?" Lost Female Voters, Where Will They Go?

Many Floating Voters Among Women in Their 20s and 30s as 'Casting Voters'
Lee Jae-myung and Yoon Seok-youl Criticized for Focusing Only on Men in Their 20s and 30s
Women Voters Expected to Lean Toward the 'Third Zone'
Women's Groups Say "Candidates Ignore Calls for a Gender-Equal Society"

Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate (left), and Yoon Seok-youl, the People Power Party presidential candidate
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyun-joo] Although the presidential election is just around the corner, an analysis suggests that the voting intentions of women in their 20s and 30s remain undecided. Both major party candidates attempted to court these voters by recruiting female talents, but their efforts are considered insufficient.

It has been revealed that many women in their 20s and 30s have yet to decide on a candidate to support. In a public opinion poll conducted by Chosun Ilbo and TV Chosun through Kantar Korea on October 29-30, surveying 1,013 men and women aged 18 and over nationwide, 74.5% of women in their 20s and 65.2% of women in their 30s answered that they had "not yet decided" on a candidate for next year's presidential election.

◆ Lee visits male-dominated communities, Yoon pledges to strengthen false accusation penalties... Will female votes go to a third party?

Some analysts argue that the major party candidates focused only on courting the votes of men in their 20s and 30s, losing the support of women in the same age group.

Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate, engaged in online communication with the younger generation by visiting several online communities. However, criticism arose from women's groups because the communities he visited are mainly frequented by men.

On the 9th, he visited "FM Korea" and wrote, "I think I am quite unpopular here, so I am cautious," but added, "Isn't it good to at least read one more policy suggestion or criticism posted here before leaving?" Previously, he visited "Bobae Dream" on the 8th and "DC Inside" on the 2nd.

Yoon Seok-youl, the People Power Party candidate, targeted male voters with his pledges. On October 21, he announced a youth pledge to add a false accusation clause to the "Special Act on the Punishment of Sexual Violence Crimes."

In response, on the 22nd, Kang Min-jin, leader of the Youth Justice Party, criticized, "False accusation laws are used in reality to silence sexual violence victims, and adding such a clause to the Sexual Violence Special Act only imposes another burden on victims." She pointed out, "According to statistics from 2017 to 2018, only 6.4% of cases resulted in guilty verdicts for false accusations."

Leader Kang further questioned, "Are women not included among the youth Yoon talks about?" and criticized, "Actions that reinforce social stigma against women are neither fair nor beneficial to youth."

Former co-chairman of the Democratic Party joint campaign committee Jo Dong-yeon (left) and Lee Soo-jung, co-chairman of the People Power Party joint campaign committee. Photo by the Democratic Party campaign committee, Yonhap News Agency

Both parties' campaign committees recruited female talents to secure women's support, but the process was not smooth. On the morning of the 30th of last month, Lee Jae-myung personally announced the recruitment of Cho Dong-yeon as the first female talent and co-chair of the campaign committee, but she voluntarily resigned amid personal life controversies.

Yoon Seok-youl appointed Professor Lee Soo-jung of Kyonggi University's Department of Criminal Psychology as co-chair of his campaign committee. This sparked strong opposition, with some anti-feminism groups holding a rally on the 4th in front of the People Power Party headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, demanding Professor Lee's resignation from the campaign committee.

There is also analysis that the voting intentions of women in their 20s and 30s, who have emerged as "casting voters," may shift toward a "third party." During the Seoul mayoral by-election on April 7, exit polls by the three major broadcasters (KBS, MBC, SBS) showed that 15.1% of women voters in their 20s cast their votes for minor parties or independents rather than the two major parties.

◆ Women's groups: "No will to resolve gender discrimination in the election... Women feel threatened regarding safety"

Women's groups pointed out that gender equality is missing from the blueprints drawn by the major party candidates. Yoon Mi-young, Secretary General of the Seoul Women's Association, said, "If the two candidates considered issues like gender-based violence and wage discrimination important, they would put thought and effort into their pledges and other areas. However, neither candidate shows a will to resolve gender discrimination in our society," she criticized.

Referring to recent gender violence incidents such as dating murders, she added, "Especially women in their 20s and 30s take threats to their safety and survival seriously and often support feminism to demand solutions. The candidates are not listening to women's voices calling for a gender-equal society," she claimed.

Secretary General Yoon also predicted that the upcoming presidential election would be a "gender election." She said, "The results remain to be seen, but women will vote conscientiously for candidates who propose policies that can practically change their lives," and added, "At the same time, they will consider preventing the election of candidates who reinforce gender discrimination and regress gender equality."

Meanwhile, on the 12th, a protest by women criticizing the current presidential election as a "misogynistic election" is scheduled. The "Shout Out" protest group announced the demonstration in front of the two major parties' headquarters on the morning of the 12th via social media, sarcastically stating, "We decided to hold this protest to express deep gratitude to male-centered politicians who ignored women's voices and condoned misogyny, not even considering women as voters."

They continued, "Now is the time for us to raise our voices and take action. If we do not speak out, the ongoing social reduction and oppression of women will only intensify."