Peculiarities Are Candidate Hallmarks

Na Man-nyeo, born in 1903 and 103 years old now, is working for a certain "Kim" candidate who is running for a seat in the local council of Goisan County, South Chungcheong Province. Na turned out to be the oldest campaign worker in this year’s election. Helping Kim’s campaign 12 hours a day vigorously rounding seniors halls and marketplaces, she says that she is supporting Kim because she felt thankful for the way he served the neighborhood’s seniors.

Kim Byung-gyu, uncle of Kim Jong-sik, who was one of the victims in the mysterious "frog boys" kidnapping case, is also running for a membership in the lower-level council of Dalseo District in Daegu. Wearing a safety helmet during his campaign, Kim claims that, "I want to remind people of the miserable event and work for children`s safety once I get in the council."

Kim Kyeong-chan, running in the same constituency, chose to dress himself in the traditional costume of Korean scholars from the Joseon era, Seonbis. He vows to his listeners that he will play clean politics just as the Seonbis did. On the other hand, Hwang Ho-yeon, also running for local council membership in Gyeongju City, North Gyeongsang Province, disguised himself as a Madangsoi, a traditional servant character. Kim Won-beom, a labor union leader of Hotel Riviera, running in Yuseong District, Daegu, is dressed as a hotel chef, and workers in his camp wear tuxedos like hotel staff.

A candidate in Dong District of Gwangju was caught in trouble as someone who was pretending to be him made phone calls to support him in the midst of the national football match against Senegal. "As the election is getting fierce, these kinds of `intelligent` interferences are likely to prevail," he said.

In some constituencies, "election stalkers" are becoming sources of serious disputes between candidates. They assume themselves as `watchers for clean elections,’ appear wherever their opponents go, and offensively take photos like paparazzi.

Peculiar pledges have appeared as well. Kim Young-kwon, running for the mayoralty of Namwon City, North Jeolla Province, has shown his commitment to promote marriages of rural area bachelors by arranging blind dates and financing them to meet their prospective spouses living overseas.