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Politics of campaign jingles

Posted April. 18, 2017 07:14,   

Updated April. 18, 2017 07:20

한국어

Campaign jingles reflect their election strategy. Presidential candidates started an official election campaign with various campaign jingles on Monday.

Moon Jae-in of the main opposition Minjoo Party came up with a variety of songs to touch different generations. His camp has decided to use Twice’s “Cheer Up” for the younger generation, DJ DOC’s “Run to You” for those in the 30s and 40s and Nami’s “My Everlasting Friend” for the older generation. It is also using Hong Jin-young’s “Thumbs up” to stress No.1, his election number. Moon often thumbs up with his supporters during campaigns. “The ‘cheer up’ message has clarity for the public,” said Seo Jeong Min-gab, a popular music critic.

Ahn Cheol-soo of the People’s Party has drawn attention with songs targeting at Moon. His camp chose late Shin Hae-cheol’s “A Freshwater Eel’s Dream” and “To You.” The choice is perceived as surprising given that Shin supported the late President Roh Moo-hyun and endorsed Moon in the last election. It is said that the decision was affected by Ahn’s help to legislate the Shin Hae-cheol bill (a revised bill of the Medical Dispute Mediation Act). “Ahn seems to appeal to the supporters of the late former President Roh Moo-hyun, who support the Minjoo Party,” said Kim Yoon-ha, a pop music critic.

Meanwhile, candidates with relatively low approval ratings have selected songs that clearly represent their color.

Hong Joon-pyo of the Liberty Korea Party has chosen Park Sang-cheol’s “By Any Means” targeting the older generation and Jeong Su-ra’s “Ah! The Republic of Korea” to stress patriotism. Yoo Seung-min of the Bareun Party has rewritten the lyric of “The Shark Family,” a children’s song, to highlight his key policies in extending maternity leave and reforming the chaebols.

Shim Sang-jung of the Justice Party has increased visibility by selecting songs often used in candlelit mass protests such as “Truth never sinks.”



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