With the June 3 local elections ahead, the YouTube rivalry between the ruling and opposition party leaders has kicked into high gear. Matching the channel of Democratic Party of Korea leader Jung Chung-rae, who has 670,000 subscribers, People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok also launched a new channel, shedding a hard-line image and moving to broaden his appeal.
Leader Jung Chung-rae is one of the most prominent YouTubers among politicians. He is active through the channel "Jung Chung-rae TV is on!" As of the 7th, he has about 673,000 subscribers, the most among sitting lawmakers. He communicates with subscribers by posting short short-form videos of not only supreme council meetings and local schedules but even mealtime scenes.
Recently, during a visit to Gwangju, Leader Jung visited Namdong Cathedral and posted a video of conversations with residents, and he joined the odd-even license plate driving system, taking a taxi home in the evening. He also sustains on-the-ground feel by visiting markets in regions such as Yeongdeok, North Gyeongsang, and Asan, South Chungcheong, making hotteok and selling tteokbokki. In political circles, the evaluation is that "it may have something of a B-grade vibe, but the friendly content is drawing attention."
Leader Jang Dong-hyeok has recently started ramping up his YouTube activity. Under the banner "On-the-ground steps for people's livelihoods! Leader Jang is heading to the field!" he opened the channel "Where is Leader Jang going?" on the 2nd. As of the 7th, it has about 10,800 subscribers. In the first video released on the 3rd, he visited a real estate agency in Seoul's Dongdaemun District, spoke with a licensed real estate agent, and directly examined the reality of monthly rents for young people.
He also walked the Gyeongui Line Forest Trail in Seoul's Mapo District with People Power Party lawmaker Cho Jeong-hoon, greeting residents and taking photos with supporters. At the real estate office, he emphasized a friendly image by using the Chungcheong dialect, saying, "Aren't you at least giving me some bag coffee?" and "I came from far away."
These steps are seen as an attempt to soften his previous hard-line image. A political insider said, "Leader Jang's YouTube moves are a strategy to reduce the hard-line 'Yoon again' image and enter the local election phase in earnest," adding, "It appears he has accepted, to some extent, the previously raised criticisms about a lack of communication." Leader Jang has also been increasing meetings with National Assembly reporters recently.
He also reactivated the existing "Jang Dong-hyeok's Final TV" channel. Aside from a Lunar New Year's greeting in January, it had been effectively dormant since October last year, but it resumed on the 19th of last month with a video titled "Property tax notices are a tax nuclear bomb driving up prices! We will properly reform the tax system" from a supreme council meeting. Since then, he has intensified the fight against the opposition by posting successive remarks targeting the supplementary budget and Seoul mayoral preliminary candidate Chong Won-o's "Cancun tax-funded trip."