Lee Jae-myung "Gaeddal Phenomenon, a World Historical Significance"... Hwang Kyo-ik "Democratic Party Should Learn Gaeddal's Attitude"

Lee "Thanks to all, from Gaeimo, Gaesomchon to Gaehalmeoni... Realizing the importance of actions and practice by a few"
Emphasizes the importance of 'comments'... "We must take the lead even in comments"
Hwang Kyo-ik "Stop internal criticism within the Democratic Party... The Cho Kuk incident and sexual scandal are not causes of the presidential election defeat"

Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party of Korea's candidate for the National Assembly in Gyeyang, Incheon, and the party's overall election campaign committee chairman. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Se-eun] Lee Jae-myung, the General Election Committee Chairman of the Democratic Party of Korea, evaluated the phenomena of 'Gaeddal' and 'Yangadeul,' terms referring to his supporters, as a new political form with global historical significance.

On the 15th, during a meeting with the fan cafe cheering squad 'Jaemyeong's Village' held at the election office, Chairman Lee said, "We are creating a major trend," adding, "How great is this?"

He stated, "Many of our Gaeddal and Yangadeul, as well as Gaeimo, Gaesamchon, and even Gaehalmeoni, are supporting us, which gives us great strength," and added, "I also thought about how important the actions and practices of a minority are."

Pointing to his mobile phone, he emphasized, "In the past, even if I handed out 50 or 100 flyers, only four or five people would see them, yet I endured a year of imprisonment to spread information," and continued, "Now, how easy it is. This (mobile phone) has become a tool for new political change."

Gaeddal is an abbreviation of 'Gaehyeok-ui Ddal' (Daughter of Reform), referring to female voters in their 20s and 30s who supported Chairman Lee in the last presidential election. Yangadeul is short for 'Yangsim-ui Adeul' (Son of Conscience), referring to male voters in their 20s and 30s who also supported him. Terms like Gaeimo and Gaesamchon similarly derive from 'Gaehyeok' (Reform).

Chairman Lee also stressed the importance of 'portal site comments.'

He said, "Supporters are engaged in cleansing comments on portal sites," adding, "I watch with a moving heart. History is made not by the majority but by the minority."

He continued, "Whenever you have time, leaving a comment or, if that’s bothersome, just clicking 'like' once helps cleanse comments. That changes the world," explaining, "During the Candlelight Revolution, collective action occurred in a short, decisive period, but now it is happening routinely."

He encouraged comment cleansing, saying, "We must take the lead even in comments," and added, "Recently, we have been somewhat pushed back, but the other side (People Power Party) seems to be organizing diligently now. Overcoming that can also be the power of the people, the power of the collective."

Hwang Kyo-ik, taste columnist. Photo by Yonhap News

Meanwhile, food columnist Hwang Kyo-ik also argued that the Democratic Party should learn from Lee Jae-myung’s 'Gaeddal' to recover from the shock of the presidential election defeat.

On the 14th, Hwang wrote on his Facebook, "The cause of the presidential election defeat is neither Cho Kuk nor the sexual misconduct scandal," pointing out, "Cho Kuk’s river was crossed during the April 2020 general election, and the price for the sexual misconduct scandal was paid in the 2021 local by-elections."

He added, "The presidential election was lost by a narrow margin," and criticized, "The Democratic Party is not organizing the causes of defeat but is instead dragging up past issues to create controversy. They need to engage in self-criticism to a proper extent and get out of the self-destructive mode."

He further questioned, "Would the public want to entrust political power to a party that only engages in internal strife?" and added, "The Democratic Party should learn from the 'Gaeddal' who, just days after losing the presidential election, energetically shout political claims aiming for the path to victory."