Fierce Competition Among 'Next First Lady' Fan Cafes... From 'Geonsarang' to 'Gukmo Kim Hye-kyung' Emerges

Presidential Candidate Approval Ratings Neck and Neck
Lee 34%·Yoon 33%

Lee Jae-myung, the spouse of the Democratic Party presidential candidate Kim Hye-kyung (left), and Yoon Seok-youl, the spouse of the People Power Party presidential candidate Kim Gun-hee. / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Na Ye-eun] Recently, after the broadcast of the '7-hour recording' of Kim Geon-hee, spouse of Yoon Seok-yeol, the presidential candidate of the People Power Party, enthusiasm has surged with the sale of mask goods in her fan cafe 'Geonsarang.' Meanwhile, a fan cafe for Kim Hye-kyung, spouse of Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party, has also emerged, attracting attention.

On the 19th, a cafe called 'Gukmo Kim Hye-kyung, Gyeongsa Nanne' was opened on Naver. The main page was filled with photos of Kim Hye-kyung. The operator introduced it as "a cafe to support and cheer for Mrs. Kim" and stated, "We plan to continue activities unchanged even after Lee Jae-myung becomes president." As of 3:30 PM on the 21st, the number of members in the cafe was 1,478.

Meanwhile, the fan cafe 'Geonsarang' for Kim Geon-hee, opened on December 19 last year, had only about 200 members as of the 15th, but after MBC reported on Kim’s '7-hour recording,' new memberships surged. Initially, the number of members was only 215, but after the MBC report, it rapidly increased to about 40,000. They attracted attention with posters combining Kim’s photo with the 'Wonder Woman' character.

Also, on the 19th, they released and started selling 'Kim Geon-hee masks' that combined Kim’s face image on masks. The masks were engraved with Kim’s character along with the phrase 'Geonsarang♥.'

As the presidential election approaches, the competition surrounding the candidates’ spouses is intensifying. When the ruling party focused attacks on Kim Geon-hee, supporters began to respond. Stimulated by this, supporters of candidate Lee also started to highlight his wife prominently.

Meanwhile, the presidential candidate support rates are extremely close. According to a survey conducted by Gallup Korea from the 18th over three days with 1,002 voters nationwide, 34% responded that they support candidate Lee, while Yoon’s support rate was 33%.