"Today at Seoul National University of Education"... Lee Junseok Targets Youth with 'School Cafeteria Politics'

Lee Takes a Distinct Approach to Undecided Voters in Their 20s
Visits Dankook University on the 16th to Communicate with Students
Pledges Correctional Reform with Stronger Labor and "Industrial-Type Correction"

Lee Junseok, the presidential candidate of the Reform New Party, is utilizing "school cafeteria politics" in his campaign by visiting universities across the country, sharing meals, and engaging in conversations with young people.

On the morning of May 15, Lee is scheduled to visit Seoul National University of Education to have lunch with students. He plans to discuss topics relevant to young people, such as employment, career paths, and political participation, as well as the issue of young teachers leaving the profession amid rapidly changing educational environments, together with prospective teachers.

As of this date, Lee has held four school cafeteria communication sessions. Starting with Yonsei University on May 12, he visited Kyungpook National University and Pusan National University in the Daegu-Gyeongbuk (TK) region during his campaign on May 13 and 14. This approach is differentiated from previous methods used by politicians to communicate with the youth. The strategy is to target the nearly 60% of undecided voters in their 20s and boost youth voter turnout. An official from the Reform New Party’s election campaign headquarters said in a phone call, "Candidate Lee personally came up with this idea as a way to strengthen communication with young people."

'Let's Eat School Food Lee Junseok' Today at Pusan National University

(Pusan=Yonhap News) Reporter Ryu Youngseok = Reform New Party presidential candidate Lee Junseok is having a conversation while eating school food with students at Pusan National University in Geumjeong District, Busan, where the 'Let's Eat School Food Lee Junseok' event was held on May 14, 2025. ondol@yna.co.kr (End)

The campaign headquarters has also developed its own platform for the "Let's Eat School Food Lee Junseok" campaign. Through this platform, students can vote to invite Lee to their university. Lee plans to prioritize visits to universities in regions where campaign events are scheduled and where voting activity is high. On May 16, the following day, he will visit Dankook University in Chungnam.

In the afternoon, Lee will move to Seoul Station to hold a roundtable discussion with the Korean Elementary Teachers Association on the theme "So that tragedies like the Seoi Elementary School incident do not happen again." Discussions are expected to cover follow-up legislative measures regarding the Act on the Status of Teachers. Later, at 7 p.m., he will move to Konkuk University Station in Gwangjin District, Seoul, for a campaign walkabout.

Meanwhile, Lee has announced a correctional reform pledge aimed at strengthening the effectiveness of prison sentences. He stated, "We will intensify prison labor for inmates and shift to a high-intensity, high-value-added prison work system."