Sim emerges as biggest beneficiary of TV debates

Sim Sang-jung, the presidential candidate of the progressive Justice Party, attends a debate hosted by the Kwanhun Club, an association of senior journalists, in Seoul, Thursday. / Yonhap

By Choi Ha-young

Sim Sang-jung, the presidential candidate of the progressive Justice Party, is becoming a serious contender in the presidential race following impressive performances in televised debates.

The only female candidate garnered support of 8.6 percent in a Hankook Research poll conducted Tuesday to Wednesday. In a Realmeter survey released Thursday, she had 7.5 percent, up 2.9 percentage points compared to a week earlier.

If this trend continues to the May 9 election, she is expected to win a record number of votes as a non-mainstream progressive candidate, surpassing Kwon Young-ghil’s 3.9 percent in the 2002 election.

She performed well in the four TV debates. On Tuesday, she chided leading candidate Moon Jae-in of the Democratic Party of Korea, for his controversial remark: “I don’t like homosexuality.”

“Homosexuality is not a matter of approval. Even though I’m heterosexual, I advocate for their rights and freedoms. That’s how democracy should be,” she noted.

Her campaign team is turning optimistic, hoping for double-digit support. One day after the broadcast, the smallest parliamentary party with six seats has attracted about 300 new members, a campaign official said. The camp has received around 200 million won ($177,000) in political donations as of 10 a.m. Thursday.

“Many college students around me are moving toward Sim, particularly after the latest debate,” Lee Yu-min, 23, told The Korea Times. “It was impressive that she even used her one-minute of speaking time to assert her views on homosexuality.”

Showing her increasing popularity, more than 300 people gathered at her rally in front of Sungshin Women’s University, Thursday.

Yoon Seo-in, 25, a graduate student, originally hoped Moon would win the election, but decided to vote for Sim after watching the debate. “I will choose plan A. I want to show how many people can join hands for gradual change,” she said.

Yongin University Professor Choi Chang-ryul pointed out Sim’s sense of humor, as well as her clearly progressive but reasonable pledges, as reasons for her popularity.

“Other than variables of Moon and People’s Party candidate Ahn Cheol-soo, progressive and even centrist voters are rallying around her. I think she will be able to grow further through the two more TV debates,” Choi said.

The current electoral landscape where Moon is cementing his dominance over Ahn has partly facilitated Sim’s growth. She has emphasized that candlelit protests have already rendered a power shift by ousting ex-President Park Geun-hye, as an effort to relieve anxiety that her support rate may hinder Moon’s victory.

“The percentage of votes for me are not dead votes. It will set the direction of the next government’s reformist policies,” the life-long labor activist said in a debate with journalists, Thursday. “Votes going with the tide cannot change your life.”

The nation’s most influential filmmaker Park Chan-wook echoed the message in public, Thursday. “When can we cast a ballot according to our principles, without concern? If you sympathize with Sim’s values, please cast a ballot for her,” he said in a video.