Photo: Kim Mun-su (left) at a campaign rally. Credit: Facebook page of Kim Gyeong-su.
The southeastern provinces have long been a conservative stronghold. But at a campaign stop on May 14, People Power Party presidential candidate Kim Mun-su 김문수 국민의힘 대선 후보 faced an awkward situation in Miryang, Gyeongsangnam-do Province 경상남도 밀양, where a massive poster of his rival Lee Jae-myung 이재명 stared down at his rally. Photos of the rally made it seem that Kim was at times bowing to Lee, or pleading to Lee’s smiling face.
The strategic positioning of the poster was the work of U Seo-yeong 우서영, the 29-year-old Democratic Party regional committee chair for Miryang and three surrounding counties. Born and raised in nearby Changnyeong-gun County 창녕군, U identified the building as a strategic location and a likely site for a political rally - then arranged to have the entire side of the building covered by Lee’s poster.
The episode is the latest feather in the cap for U, who is establishing herself as a rising star within the Democratic Party. U was the youngest candidate in the 2024 General Election 총선거 and is the liberals’ youngest regional committee chair. Although she decisively lost her election, U won 33.1% of the vote - outperforming the historical average in the deep-red district.
