[In-Depth Analysis] How Lee Jun-seok Wrote a Comeback Drama

'Dongtan Mom' Interests Targeted Specifically
Opponent's Weaknesses Precisely Exploited
'Regime Judgment Theory' Also Works Favorably in the Structure

Lee Jun-seok, leader of the Reform New Party, is speaking at the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the 22nd. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

"I am a supporter of the Democratic Party, but I want to applaud him. Seeing this, I understand why the citizens of Dongtan voted for him."

This is the opinion of a voter left on a recent video of Lee Jun-seok, leader of the Reform New Party, campaigning for the general election, which has become a late-breaking topic. Lee’s victory in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, considered one of the biggest surprises of the 22nd general election, is being recognized as no coincidence. Voters unanimously said they were moved by Lee’s sincere actions. His close aides who guarded the campaign site described seeing a kind of "madness" in him. This reflects how Lee’s desperation for victory drove his success in the election.

One key factor behind Lee’s rapid consolidation of Dongtan voters was his precise targeting of the interests of the core local support group known as the 'Dongtan Moms.' He focused on visiting nearly 100 apartment complexes within the large-scale Dongtan campaign area, detailing specific difficulties and improvement measures. For example, in the case of the L apartment complex, he pointed out chronic right-turn traffic congestion near nearby commercial areas, damage caused by chemical treatments related to lawn care at a nearby golf course, and neglect of sauna facilities due to excessive management fees within the apartment community, proposing appropriate improvements.

A video of Representative Lee Jun-seok visiting an apartment in Dongtan for about 2 hours and 50 minutes through the YouTube channel 'Yeouido Reconstruction Association'.

Through a nearly 2-hour and 50-minute video on the YouTube channel 'Yeouido Reconstruction Association,' he documented visiting over 100 apartment complexes in Dongtan’s districts 4, 6, 7, 8, and 9, carefully addressing inconveniences in living conditions and necessary safety improvements for children, promising solutions. This video quickly spread across Dongtan Mom cafes, surpassing 90,000 views. Dongtan Mom cafes are online parenting communities for residents in the area, with some having up to 300,000 members. Despite the principle of no political discussion in these mom cafes, members voluntarily shared the video to rally support.

This strategy was largely credited to Koo Hyuk-mo, the Reform New Party’s political affairs director. Koo previously ran as a candidate for Hwaseong mayor in the 8th local elections. The database of local issues he had accumulated over time greatly aided this campaign. Above all, Lee’s sincerity and passion cannot be overlooked. Many voters who watched the video recognized his heartfelt appeal. Lee himself said, "Because the area has many young people and is almost 100% apartment complexes, it was advantageous for a wind-based election, and it was possible to shape public opinion in a short period."

Additionally, a strategy that exploited the weaknesses of Gong Young-woon, the Democratic Party candidate, was effective. Lee pointed out issues such as Gong’s gift of a Seoul Seongsu-dong house worth 3 billion KRW to his son in his 20s who was serving in the military, raising the issue of 'Dad’s chance.' During a debate, Gong made a misstep by responding to Lee’s repeated criticisms with a statement that was hard for the general public to sympathize with: "Isn’t gap investment something many young people do?" Lee quickly narrowed the initial 20 percentage point gap in support after the debate. On election day, exit polls from the three major terrestrial broadcasters showed Lee trailing Gong by 3.2 percentage points, but the actual count recorded Lee at 42.41%, defeating Gong who had 39.73%.

Lee’s mother’s heartfelt appeal also played a role in winning over voters. On the 7th, Lee’s mother, Kim Hyang-ja (66), climbed onto the campaign vehicle and tearfully said, "On my left chest is my politician son Lee Jun-seok, and on my right chest is the Lee Jun-seok I gave birth to with pain," adding, "That’s how a politician’s family endures." She expressed both sympathy for her son and emphasized the need for a judgment against the current administration under President Yoon Seok-yeol. Kim raised her voice, saying, "Seeing former lawmakers Yoo Seung-min, Na Kyung-won, Ahn Cheol-soo, and former leader Kim Ki-hyun do so, how much hurt and pride damage must they have caused conservative supporters?" This unscripted comment, not coordinated with the leadership at the time, was regarded as a sincere appeal to the 20s and 30s generation as well as middle-aged voters in Dongtan.

The 'judgment against the administration' sentiment that influenced this election was also said to have greatly helped Lee. As this sentiment rose, the choice narrowed down to a contest between Lee and Gong. In political circles, Lee’s victory is seen as proof of his political skills. Hong Joon-pyo, mayor of Daegu, who had underestimated Lee’s chances, praised him on social media the day before, saying, "Lee Jun-seok is a decent politician. Congratulations on your election." A party member who stayed with Lee until the end said, "We even said if he lost after all this effort, he should quit politics," adding, "It seems voters recognized how much effort and sincerity he poured into this election."