President Yoon Attending 5·18 Memorial Ceremony... Will His 'Honam Outreach' Work?

Yoon, Highest Honam Vote Share Among Conservative Candidates, Kukhim Total Mobilization Order
"Consensus Formed That Honam Issues Must Be Solved Under Conservative Government"
Pressuring Opposition While 'Courting Honam' Ahead of June 1 Local Elections

On February 16, then-People Power Party presidential candidate Yoon Seok-yeol is greeting supporters during a campaign at Songjeong Maeil Market in Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] President Yoon Seok-yeol and the People Power Party are putting special effort into 'capturing the Honam public sentiment.' As in the last presidential election, it is interpreted as a strategy to continue targeting Honam and moderate voters in the June 1 local elections. It also seems to consider the effect on metropolitan area voters. In the last presidential election, President Yoon recorded vote shares of 14.42% in Jeonbuk, 12.72% in Gwangju, and 11.44% in Jeonnam, achieving the highest vote share ever for a conservative party candidate in Honam. The total vote share in the Honam region was 12.75%, surpassing the 10.46% recorded by Park Geun-hye in 2012.

According to the presidential office on the 16th, President Yoon requested all senior secretaries of the presidential office, newly appointed ministers, and all People Power Party members of the National Assembly to attend the 42nd anniversary ceremony of the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement. Lee Jun-seok, leader of the People Power Party, wrote on Facebook, "Regional integration is not about how many times 'integration' is shouted in speeches but about showing it through actions," adding, "The president asked our party members to participate, and except for those with unavoidable schedules, all have agreed to join."

This is the first time that all conservative party-affiliated lawmakers have attended the May 18 ceremony. President Yoon and People Power Party lawmakers are reportedly planning to sing the "March for the Beloved" at the ceremony. On the 16th, the People Power Party also held a policy meeting at the National Assembly with organizations related to the May 18 Democratization Movement and bereaved families.

President Yoon Suk-yeol is greeting reporters by saying "Have a good day" as he arrives at the Yongsan Presidential Office building in Seoul on the morning of the 17th. / Photo by the Presidential Office Press Photographers Group [Image source=Yonhap News]

Since his presidential candidacy, President Yoon has shown a differentiated approach from past conservative party candidates by pledging to include the 'May 18 spirit in the preamble of the constitution.' During the official campaign period, he held five rallies in Honam. This contrasted with Hong Joon-pyo, the Liberty Korea Party candidate in the 2017 presidential election, who visited Gwangju only once. During the rallies, he raised support with notable pledges such as the 'attraction of a complex shopping mall in Gwangju' and also sent handwritten letters directly to residents of the Honam region.

President Yoon and the People Power Party's Honam approach is expected to serve as an opportunity to eliminate the 'Honam neglect theory' and regional discrimination that have emerged under conservative governments. However, there are also criticisms that if this remains a one-off event from an election strategy perspective, it will have limitations in securing long-term support.

Professor Shin Yul of Myongji University's Department of Political Science and Diplomacy said, "Since former emergency committee chairman Kim Jong-in, the People Power Party has been putting effort into Honam. This movement has continued from the time Yoon Seok-yeol was a presidential candidate to after his election. It does not seem to be a one-off, and it should not be in the future," adding, "Within the People Power Party, unlike in the past, there seems to be a consensus that issues related to Honam need to be addressed. This is a positive development."