Gominjeong "Dogs Also Support Lee" Lee Junseok "Animal Election Campaign? Just a Gimmick"

Democratic Party's 'Pet Support Declaration Relay' Draws Criticism from Opposition

Lee Jun-seok, the leader of the People Power Party, criticized Go Min-jung, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, who introduced the 'Pet Support Declaration Relay.' Photo by Go Min-jung

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyun-joo] Go Min-jung, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, posted that "pets also support presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung," which Lee Jun-seok, leader of the People Power Party, dismissed as "concept acting" (behavior based on a fabricated concept).

Go, who serves as the chairperson of the Animal Rights Committee within the Democratic Party's election campaign committee, posted on her Facebook on the 13th photos of dogs named "Hwindungi," "Hodu," and "Huchu," saying, "So many pets have expressed their support."

This is a "support declaration relay" created by collecting photos of pets, reasons for supporting candidate Lee, and stories from his supporters. According to the released photos, supporters expressed reasons for backing the candidate such as "Please create a good pet culture" and "I like the pledge to reduce pet care expenses."

In response, Lee Jun-seok sarcastically introduced Go's post on his Facebook the same day, saying, "So far, we have been leading among voters such as self-employed people, retirees, students, and housewives, but it seems that candidate Lee Jae-myung is overwhelmingly supported by animals." He also stated, "As party leader, I have no plans to direct election campaigns toward animals," adding, "People come first, not concept acting."

The pet support declaration relay also faced criticism from the opposition on the 2nd. Choi In-ho, chairperson of the Youth and Future Special Committee of the People Power Party's election campaign committee, commented on Go's Facebook post encouraging participation in the relay, saying, "It seems that Representative Go Min-jung knows the language of dogs well enough to hear which candidate they support." He sarcastically added, "There were many moments when listening to what Representative Go said made me wonder, 'What kind of dog barking is this?' Now I finally understand the mystery that was unresolved."

In response, Go replied on Facebook, "I did not ask the pets directly, but received stories and photos from pet owners." She added, "So questioning me whether I heard it directly is an absurd logic. If you envy it, try it yourself."