Former Gwanak-gu Mayor Yoojongpil: Will the Democratic Party's Plea Strategy Succeed?

Former Gwanak District Mayor Yoo Jong-pil posted on his Facebook on the 24th an article titled 'Democratic Party's Pleading Strategy,' drawing attention by criticizing past appeals such as Chu Mi-ae, New Millennium Democratic Party's campaign chairwoman's 'Three Steps, One Bow' and Open Democratic Party lawmaker Lim Jong-seok's 'Switch Theory' plea.

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Former Gwanak District Mayor Yoo Jong-pil commented on the Democratic Party's plea strategy in the final stages of the June 1 local elections, saying, "It is probably a calculation to gain sympathy votes."

On the 24th, Yoo posted on his Facebook, "There is a plea strategy in election tactics. I think it might be the 37th tactic following the 36 stratagems of Sun Tzu's Art of War. Reports emerged that Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party's general election committee chairman and candidate for the Incheon Gyeyang-eul by-election, is employing a plea strategy, and today even Park Ji-hyun, the emergency committee chairperson, has begun earnest pleading," he explained.

He cited the 3-step-1-bow campaign by Chu Mi-ae, the New Millennium Democratic Party's election committee chairperson during the 2004 17th general election, as a representative past example of a plea strategy. He said, "After the backlash from President Roh Moo-hyun's impeachment, when all remedies were ineffective, Chu Mi-ae performed a tearful 3-step-1-bow over 15 km from the old Gwangju provincial office to Mangwol-dong for 2 nights and 3 days. The result was a total failure. The party secured only 5 seats in Jeonnam and 4 proportional representation seats, becoming the fourth-largest party in the National Assembly."

Next, he recalled the 2006 local elections when the Uri Party, which had won a majority in the 17th general election thanks to the impeachment, failed to maintain the majority for two years and faced near collapse due to chaotic internal conflicts, ultimately resorting to a plea strategy as a last choice.

Among the plea letters read by Representative Im Jong-seok at the time was the phrase, "Please whip our calves with a rod," but the public beat the ruling Uri Party not with a rod but with a cudgel. Out of 16 metropolitan government heads, they only secured Jeonbuk, he said.

Former Mayor Yoo criticized, "Based on experience, the plea strategy does not seem to be an effective election tactic. Chairman Lee Jae-myung's candidacy in Gyeyang, where he has 'never even urinated once,' is suspected to be a self-protective move. Former leader Song Young-gil, who suddenly gave up Gyeyang-eul after advocating for the retirement of the 586 generation and ran for Seoul mayor, is being disparaged as giving up his seat for Lee Jae-myung."

He concluded by asking, "The public has that much sense. The voters of Gyeyang-eul also have a shred of pride. The Democratic Party, which was in power until recently, boasting of 20 or even 50 years of rule, and which lost the presidential election by only 0.73 percentage points just two and a half months ago, will their plea strategy succeed?"

Yoo Jong-pil, a living witness to modern history and party politics who served as the longest-serving spokesperson for the Democratic Party, introduced himself as a special advisor to the former president-elect.