Politicians gain spotlight for virus response

Gyeojggi Governor Lee Jae-myung Yonhap

By Do Je-hae

Some political heavyweights are capturing the spotlight for their leadership and sense of duty with their response to the COVID-19 outbreak here.

One of the politicians to benefit the most from the epidemic is Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung. A former presidential hopeful of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), Lee's political status and public image were weakened last year after a legal battle regarding alleged violations of the Public Official Election Act. But some recent surveys show rising public support for the governor.

In a survey by Embrain, Lee emerged ― hypothetically ― as the No. 2 candidate for the next presidential election, with an approval rating of 13.4 percent behind the 26.9 percent for former Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon, who co-leads the DPK's strategy committee for the upcoming April 15 general election.

This is a departure from previous surveys where second place had consistently been taken by Hwang Kyo-ahn, chairman of the main opposition United Future Party (UFP). In the Embrain survey, Hwang ranked third with 12 percent.

The survey reflects Lee Jae-myung's recent increase in popularity, his efforts to contain the coronavirus outbreak in the province have been helpful in rebranding him as an effective leader. In particular, the public have been highly impressed with his strict measures against the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, considered to be responsible for the rapid spread of the virus in Korea.

With Shincheonji headquartered in the province's Gwacheon, Lee threatened to arrest Lee Man-hee, founder of the minor Christian sect, after he refused to take a COVID-19 test following a March 2 press conference. The governor personally went to the church founder's residence to pressure him to take the test, which ultimately, the Shincheonji leader ended up doing that evening.

Lee called for the closure of all Shincheonji facilities in his province, and a halt to all assembly and service activities of the sect's followers on Facebook, Feb. 20. He has also acquired a list of more than 30,000 Shincheonji followers in his province.

Former presidential candidate Ahn Cheol-soo is also gaining popularity because of his medical expertise. The head of the minor opposition People's Party and his wife have been working as volunteer doctors in Daegu, the epicenter of the virus in Korea.

Ahn Cheol-soo in Daegu Yonhap

Ahn is known to be the only politician with a current doctor's license to volunteer in Daegu, which has been struggling with a shortage of medical staff due to the explosive growth of COVID-19 infections.

As a doctor, he is getting the level of praise he rarely receives as a politician. The former tech tycoon has often been criticized for a lack of leadership. “I was impressed by Ahn's activities,” UFP leader Hwang said during a party meeting March 5. “We should take after him. Our party will do our utmost to contribute to the quarantine, treatment and prevention of COVID-19, in cooperation with medical personnel and volunteers.”

In the Embrain survey, Ahn ranked fourth with an approval rating of 5.7 percent. In a separate survey conducted by Realmeter last week, support for the People's Party jumped to 4.7 percent from 1.7 percent the previous week.

Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon has also seen a rise in his popularity. He recently ordered a ban of large-scale rallies in downtown Seoul and filed a complaint with the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office against the Shincheonji leader and 12 district chiefs of the church.