Kim Moonsoo's Camp Targets Young Voters with SNS Marketing
T1 States: "Faker Has No Connection to Political Campaigns"
Regarding Kim Moonsoo, the People Power Party's presidential candidate, imitating the signature pose of esports superstar 'Faker' Lee Sanghyuk in his official promotional materials, T1, Faker's affiliated team, has issued a statement distancing themselves from the matter. On May 6, T1 announced via its official social networking service (SNS), "We have confirmed that Faker's image and phrases symbolizing the player have recently been used in some politically related content," and added, "We would like to clarify that Faker is not associated with any political stance, party, or campaign."
Regarding Kim Moonsoo, the People Power Party's presidential candidate, imitating the signature pose of esports superstar 'Faker' Lee Sanghyuk in his official promotional materials, T1, Faker's affiliated team, has expressed a clear stance distancing themselves from this. Kim Moonsoo SNS
T1 further emphasized, "We hope that the image or related expressions of Faker will not be interpreted as having any particular political meaning or cause any misunderstanding." In addition, T1 stated, "We are working to have the posts in question deleted and will do our utmost to ensure that no harm comes to the player."
Previously, on May 5, Kim Moonsoo announced that he had taken an official profile photo for his campaign, during which he struck Faker's "Shh" ceremony pose, placing his index finger to his lips. Kim's campaign explained, "This pose borrows from the 'final declaration' meme, which is currently popular among young people," and added, "It was meant to show the candidate's firm determination and confidence in the presidential election." On Kim's SNS, a promotional photo of him in this pose was posted along with the phrase, "I'll take responsibility. It's over! It's over!" Furthermore, Kim's camp directly mentioned 'Faker' as a hashtag in the post. This is interpreted as an attempt by Kim, who is mainly supported by voters in their 60s and older, to appeal to younger generations through such SNS marketing.
The "Shh" ceremony is a symbolic gesture of Lee Sanghyuk, also used in the Korea Minting and Security Printing Corporation's "Faker Commemorative Medal." The phrase attached to the post, "I'll take responsibility. It's over, it's over," is also a famous quote left by Lee Sanghyuk when he led his team to victory against Gen.G in the 2021 League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK) Summer Round 2. Photo by Kim Munsu SNS
The "Shh" ceremony is a symbolic gesture of Lee Sanghyuk, also used in the Korea Minting and Security Printing Corporation's "Faker Commemorative Medal." The phrase attached to the post, "I'll take responsibility. It's over, it's over," is also a famous quote left by Lee Sanghyuk when he led his team to victory against Gen.G in the 2021 League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK) Summer Round 2.
As speculation arose that Faker might be officially supporting Kim Moonsoo, T1 released an official statement. After T1 clarified its position, fans criticized the situation, pointing out that it could create the false impression that Lee Sanghyuk supports Kim Moonsoo. One user, identifying as a T1 fan, commented on the post, "Lee Sanghyuk has no connection or association with the candidate." Another user criticized, "Such misunderstandings could arise for a player who has nothing to do with this matter."
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