Politicians joining YouTube craze

Rep. Sim Sang-jung, chairwoman of the minor Justice Party, adjusts her glasses in a clip from her Nov. 8 YouTube debut. Captured from YouTube's "Simgeum Live" channel

Opposition leaders create channels to rebrand themselves

By Do Je-hae

Political heavyweights are increasingly turning to YouTube to improve their communication with voters ahead of the general election in April 2020.

One such YouTuber is Rep. Sim Sang-jung, leader of the minor opposition Justice Party. In her YouTube debut on Nov. 8, she spoke about various issues relating to people's livelihoods, in addition to proposals for reducing the “excessive” privileges of lawmakers, such as cutting their salaries.

Sim also spoke about Jasmine Lee, a Philippine-born naturalized Korean citizen who formerly served as a lawmaker for the Saenuri Party, the predecessor of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP). Lee will join the Justice Party this week, at the invitation of Sim. “I met her three times and encouraged her to join our party,” Sim said during the first episode of her “Simgeum Live” YouTube show. “I promise that we will deal more actively with issues relating to migrant families from now on.”

Sim's support from young voters, struggling with unemployment and social polarization, is on the rise. As seen during a recent speech at the National Assembly, Sim has a particular edge as a public speaker and an effective social media communicator, resulting in a rare level of popularity for someone from a progressive party. Her friendly demeanor has earned her endearing nicknames such as “simvly,” a portmanteau of her surname and the word “lovely.” Sim also ran for president against Moon Jae-in and is looking to build her status as a contender for the next presidential election and significantly raise the influence of progressive politics in the process.

One of the most unlikely YouTubers is Liberty Korea Party Chairman Hwang Kyo-ahn, a political rookie looking to improve his hardline image. Hwang served as a prosecutor in the 1980s and 90s and was justice minister and prime minister during the conservative administration of the impeached former president Park Geun-hye.

Liberty Korea Party Chairman Hwang Kyo-ahn plays the saxophone in the latest video from the party's official YouTube channel. Captured from LKP YouTube channel "Oreunsori"

Due to his orderly speech and demeanor, he has often been criticized for still coming off as a government insider rather than a charismatic political leader. His detractors have also viewed him as out of touch with the younger generation. But the LKP posted a video recently on its official YouTube channel, featuring facts about the main opposition leader that have not been very well-known to the public.

Dressed in jeans with a saxophone in his hands, the 62-year-old politician appeared in a video titled "life and dream." The video starts with Hwang playing the instrument which he says he has played since his days as a prosecutor. He added that music has been a part of his life since his youth, even entering a composition contest held by KBS when he was in high school. Regarding his choice to enter the legal profession, he underlined his vision for "helping people in need" and "creating a fair society."

"I thought it was important to enforce the law in a fair manner for everyone, not just for the privileged," Hwang said.

The former PM also sought to dispel some of the widespread "misunderstandings" about him owing to his professional experience and a renowned publication regarding the enforcement of the National Security Act. The law has aroused controversies for being used as a tool to suppress freedom of speech and violate human rights.

The responses to Hwang's YouTube debut have been divisive, with some applauding the conservative leader for trying to catch up with the times and bring a more youthful image to a party that still relies heavily on the middle-aged and older population for support.

But there were some harsh responses even from within the party, such as from former party leader Hong Joon-pyo who ran against President Moon Jae-in in the 2017 election. “He should play the saxophone after he wins the election,” Hong said in a recent Facebook post.

It remains to be seen how much Hwang, considered a possible presidential contender from the conservative bloc, will succeed in raising the popularity of his party through YouTube. The channel will be updated every week.