Presidential candidates' speaking style and what it reveals about their personalities

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By Kwak Yeon-soo

• Published Feb 17, 2022 8:44 AM KST
• Updated Feb 17, 2022 5:34 PM KST

Speaking in public is 'very important part of the job' as president: experts

By Kwak Yeon-soo

No matter what one's political opinions may be, it is widely accepted that a presidential candidate's speaking style is an important factor in evaluating his or her overall qualifications to be a state leader.

A candidate's speaking style also tells us important things about what kind of president he or she would make. Unfortunately, Korea's public has few chances to learn about each candidate's vision and mission before the March 9 election because the TV debates are not moving forward as scheduled.

With less than three weeks left until the big day, there have been only been two TV debates between the four main candidates and none among the two top-polling candidates.

The candidates' different styles and strengths as speakers may bring pluses and minuses to their quests to become president, according to communication experts. The election debates may also have dramatic effects on voters who haven't made up their minds yet.

Psychologist Kim Tae-hyung and public speaking expert Park Sa-rang, who have done a comparative study of the speaking styles of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung and his main opposition People Power Party (PPP) rival, Yoon Suk-yeol, shared their impressions and analyses of the styles of the four main presidential candidates, including Ahn Cheol-soo of the minor opposition conservative People's Party and Sim Sang-jung of the minor progressive Justice Party.

“Speaking in public is not just something you have to do to become president. It's also something that you have to do as a president, and it's a very important part of the job because a good speech can exalt the dignity of the state,” Park said.

1. Lee Jae-myung

“His style of speaking is conversational, which may stem from his humble background,” Kim said. “It's a completely different style from other politicians you normally see on the stage.”

According to Kim, a person develops a strong sense of self during one's young adulthood and Lee lived that important phase of his life as a worker working at a factory manufacturing baseball gloves.

“Unlike many who try to hide their childhood poverty, Lee is extremely frank about his past and even takes pride in having been a factory worker,” he said.

Park explained that Lee refers to his worker supporters as “us” to show he is one of them. “He's providing emphasis and strengthening the association. Lee implies that he has direct experience with what he's talking about. People are more inclined to believe something that seems to have been shared,” she said.

The public speaking expert added, “This man talks honestly so that you can see what he's like. Although there were moments when offensive remarks of his upset many, including his supporters, he is eloquent, down-to-earth and deeply engaging.”

Asked if there are any precedents for Lee's speaking style, Kim said Lee shares similar traits with former President Roh Moo-hyun in the sense that they both seek the public interest. Like Roh, Lee overcame his circumstances by passing the college entrance exam and the bar exam.

Despite his strengths in speaking unscripted, Park advised that Lee could work on his vocal tone. “He could be more soft-spoken, because right now, something about his voice seems a bit weaselly,” she said. “He could also slow down a bit because he speaks faster than the other candidates, which might make it hard for some listeners to follow.”

2. Yoon Suk-yeol

“Yoon's speeches are full of 'gapjil' speaking techniques,” Kim said. “His speech suggests an authoritarian man with scattered thoughts and a lack of analytical skills.”

“Gapjil” is a Korean expression meaning the arrogant and authoritarian attitude or behavior of a person in a relatively superior position toward someone in a lower position.

Yoon goes off topic far more often than other presidential candidates in unscripted conversations, often making ad hominem attacks on his rivals. His unorganized sentences suggest something about how his mind works, according to the psychologist.

“You get no such organized thoughts from Yoon because he either repeats himself or goes off-topic,” Kim said. He explained further that Yoon's defensive and avoidant speaking style may have stemmed from his relationship with his strict father.

“Yoon comes from an affluent family, but he revealed that his father physically abused him when he was in college. When one's parents are emotionally absent, a child can feel inadequate and helpless. Yoon shows authoritarian characteristics, but when his opponent hits back at him, he suddenly takes a submissive attitude as if he's being scolded,” he said.

Meanwhile, Park said that Yoon speaks as if he's interrogating others. Yoon frequently says, “No, that's not what I meant,” or, “You misunderstood my question,” to belittle his opponents.

However, Yoon was not always so linguistically aloof. As the top prosecutor, he spoke articulately and made some impressive remarks like, “I am not loyal to the person, but loyal to the organization,” producing an image of a charismatic leader with his own beliefs.

“Yoon has become a better speaker after going through the 16 primary debates of the PPP. But that doesn't mean he's a good speaker. Now, Yoon's vocabulary is simpler so as to avoid slips of the tongue and to appeal to young voters. However, his language should be more carefully constructed,” she said.

3. Ahn Cheol-soo

“Ahn craves power but seems not to have the capacity to wield it wisely,” Kim said, adding that he has lived his entire life in an inner conflict between wanting to rebel against his father and getting recognition from him.

Kim backed up his analysis by recounting that Ahn had wished to study engineering, but decided to study medicine because his father wanted him to.

“When he switched his career from a doctor to a computer entrepreneur, Ahn's father didn't approve of the idea. Ahn worked hard, but couldn't satisfy his father. So he chose to get into politics in order to gain recognition from his father,” he said.

“I'm not sure if Ahn truly wants to become president or if he feels obliged to do so in order to prove his competence.”

Park noted that Ahn lacks empathy. “A persuasive speech has to be logical and empathetic at the same time. But he lacks emotional appeal. Facts and figures rarely persuade. He stresses that he's a corruption-free candidate, but Korean people don't necessarily look for absolute integrity in a president,” she said.

She recommended that Ahn develop his own unique style in order to cultivate a strong following and fans.

4. Sim Sang-jung

“Sim makes impulsive judgments based on her own assumptions. The pugnacious politician often pushes the conversation too far because of her desire to win debates,” Kim said.

“I think the thing that holds her back from achieving greater political goals is her aggressive behavior. One purpose of having a TV debate is to ask for an explanation and resolve misunderstandings, thus allowing the public to make rational decisions. But when you look at Sim in TV debates, it seems that her only goal is to win.”

For instance, when Sim grilled Lee about a land development scandal in which Lee has been accused of being involved in, Lee tried to give an answer but she cut him off and told him, “You are either incompetent or corrupt.”

“She often throws cold water on others' proposals or arguments,” Kim added.

Park expressed regret that there are many people who consider Sim a good public speaker.

“She knows how to appear like a good speaker. But a truly good speaker must carry a respectful attitude toward their opponents,” she said. “Honestly, I expected that Sim could stand out as the only female candidate. She could have been more gentle and warm, but instead, she chose to take the toughest stance among the four.”

Park advised that voters ask not which of the candidates is more eloquent or fun to listen to, but rather, which of them has demonstrated the best potential for undertaking the serious and important work of being the country's leader.