'Third Presidential Bid' Heo Kyung-young
"1 Billion Won Per Person Payment" Draws Attention with Bold Pledge
Recently Leading Shim Sang-jung in Polls
Some Analyze It as Reflecting Disappointment with Traditional Politics
Huh Kyung-young, the presidential candidate of the National Revolutionary Party, is riding a white horse and moving toward the presidential election kickoff event in front of the Haengju Fortress Great Victory Gate in Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, last October. / Photo by Yonhap News
[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] Heo Kyung-young, the presidential candidate of the National Revolutionary Party, who has attracted attention with his unusual pledges and bizarre remarks, recently surpassed Sim Sang-jung, the Justice Party presidential candidate, in a public opinion poll to record 4th place in approval ratings. Candidate Heo has actively promoted himself to achieve the 5% support threshold required for invitation to the presidential TV debates, and there is growing interest in whether he could become another variable in this presidential election.
According to a public opinion poll conducted by Hangil Research on behalf of Cookie News from the 8th to the 10th, surveying 1,014 voters (with a margin of error of ±3.1 percentage points at a 95% confidence level), Candidate Heo recorded 3.2%, ahead of Candidate Sim's 2.2%. He ranked 4th following Yoon Seok-youl of the People Power Party (38.0%), Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party (35.3%), and Ahn Cheol-soo of the People’s Party (11.0%).
In a regular presidential candidate poll by Asia Research & Consulting last November, Candidate Heo recorded 4.7%, showing support close to 5%. In that survey, he ranked 3rd, surpassing both Candidate Sim (3.5%) and Candidate Ahn (2.3%).
This is Candidate Heo’s third presidential bid. He first entered the election by registering as a candidate in the 13th presidential election in 1987. He also ran in the 13th presidential election in 1996, the 17th presidential election in 2007, and even participated in the Seoul mayoral by-election on April 7 last year, consistently attempting to enter the political arena.
Huh Kyung-young, the candidate of the National Revolutionary Party who ran for the Seoul mayoral by-election in April last year. / Photo by Yonhap News
Candidate Heo has drawn attention with his peculiar behavior and radical pledges. He claims to possess the abilities of 'levitation' and 'chukjibeop' (a traditional Korean technique of instant movement), and has even said he can communicate with aliens.
When he declared his presidential candidacy last August, he made headlines by appearing dressed as a general riding a white horse. At that time, he stated, "The people are suffering from the cliffs of childbirth, living, and employment," and pledged, "If elected president, I will provide an emergency livelihood support fund of 100 million won per person and a monthly national dividend of 1.5 million won to all citizens aged 18 and over within two months of taking office," a somewhat absurd pledge.
He also proposed mainly cash-based pledges such as a marriage allowance of 100 million won, childbirth allowance of 50 million won, and a dating allowance of 200,000 won for unmarried men and women. Candidate Heo said he would secure the funds for these pledges by saving 70% of the national budget. He explained that this would be possible by converting the president and members of the National Assembly to unpaid honorary positions and abolishing the party subsidy system.
In a November interview with KBS Radio's 'Joo Jin-woo Live,' Candidate Heo said, "I am not a populist. I will reduce the number of National Assembly members to 100 and eliminate 3,000 aides," adding, "I will cut 70% of the national budget and will not take a presidential salary. I will personally use 60 billion won of official expenses during my presidential term."
Last August, Candidate Heo declared his presidential bid dressed as a general in front of the Daechupmun Gate at Haengju Fortress in Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do. Photo by Yonhap News
Some suggest that Candidate Heo’s rise in support stems from public disappointment with the political establishment. It is analyzed that citizens, disillusioned by various allegations, frequent gaffes, and flip-flopping by major party presidential candidates, have shifted their support to Candidate Heo. A 20-something office worker named Lee said, "Even when the two major parties have held power, social inequality and polarization have worsened. The sense of futility that 'no matter who becomes president, nothing will change' is reflected in Candidate Heo’s support ratings."
Professor Lee Jun-han of Incheon National University’s Department of Political Science and Diplomacy said, "Candidate Heo has challenged elections multiple times. Other candidates have somewhat followed his pledges. His consistent presidential bids are a positive aspect, and the lack of appeal from major presidential candidates likely influenced the rise in his support," adding, "However, the pledges lack realism. The task ahead is to refine and detail the pledges more precisely."
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