Candidates' children hit campaign trail

By Jung Min-ho

With the clock ticking toward the May 9 presidential election, the candidates ― and their children ― are making a last-ditch effort to appeal to voters.

Compared with previous elections, their children have played bigger roles in the campaigns this time around. They don't just pose for pictures, but also deliver their parents’ key messages directly through press interviews and participate in promotion activities through social media.

Ahn Seol-hee, the daughter of People’s Party candidate Ahn Cheol-soo, took a backseat during her father’s election campaign in 2012, but she stepped forward this time to help him out.

Ahn is a doctorate student who is studying mathematics and chemistry at Stanford University in California. She took a leave of absence recently to join his campaign.

Earlier this week, she uploaded a video in which she expressed her love and respect for her father. “As your daughter, who loves you so much, maybe I can’t judge you objectively. But I can say it is time for Korea to have an ethical leader who strives to make the country fairer and better. I think you are the right one,” she said.

Yoo Dam, the daughter of Bareun Party candidate Yoo Seong-min, has also played a key role in softening her father’s image.

Her photogenic face has already made her the most famous figure among the major candidates’ children. A video of her “campaign dance” and handwritten letter to her father have been popular on social media.

During a recent media interview, she said she is often asked to pose for photos with people. She also shared her personal stories about her father and expressed her trust in him, which helped him step closer to young people.

Hong Jung-hyun, the son of Liberty Korea Party candidate Hong Joon-pyo, has played an important role in restoring his father’s image, which was tarnished with a sex crime scandal.

It was recently revealed that Hong provided a veterinary drug to his friend during their college years, knowing his friend would use it to drug a woman he wanted to have sex with. But his support seems oddly unaffected by the accusation, partly because of his family asking for public forgiveness on his behalf.

Lee Woo-kyun, the son of Justice Party candidate Sim Sang-jung, has also been pitching in since campaigning began, visiting cities across the country and participating in promotion videos for his mother.

Moon Jae-in of the Democratic Party of Korea is the only candidate whose children are not in the media spotlight, perhaps because of allegations he helped his son land a job unfairly at the state-run Korea Employment Information Service in 2006 when he was a senior presidential secretary.

Experts say children are a double-edged sword, which can help or hurt the candidates. In 1997 and 2002, presidential candidate Lee Hoi-chang of the Grand National Party failed to clearly explain why his two sons dodged military duty, which became a critical factor in his defeats.