Branding expert comes to party with 'diss' campaign

Branding expert Sohn Hye-won, who now works for the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD), has launched a so-called “self-diss” campaign in an attempt to broaden the NPAD’s appeal to voters.

On Thursday she showed how she adopted the strategy for party chairman Moon Jae-in, which shows him apologizing for “lacking in strong charisma.” The former presidential secretary in the late President Roh Moo-hyun’s Cheong Wa Dae starts out with the apology and explains his life and career as a human rights lawyer-turned-politician.

Sohn also depicts veteran NPAD lawmaker Rep. Park Jie-won apologizing for stressing “Honam, Honam.” The southwestern region is the electoral support base underpinning the NPAD.

“We hope to obtain the voters’ hearts through self-repentance first, and by forgoing a lot of the vested interests,” said Sohn.

The NPAD has recruited Sohn, responsible for many names of Korean products, including soju

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Cheoeum Cheoreom (Like the First Time),

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and apartments, including Hillstate, to better promote the party. The ruling Saenuri Party has recruited another brand expert, Cho Dong-won.

The NPAD’s popularity of 22 percent lags the Saenuri Party’s 41 percent recorded in the Gallup Korea poll done in the third week of July.