Gone are the days when candidates campaigned with posters and leaflets.
Now they are jumping on the social media bandwagon to draw in potential young supporters.
Kwon Soa takes a look.

As Korea's rival parties gear up for April's by-elections, they are trying to win the hearts of young voters,... through more novel campaign methods than the usual posters and leaflets.
This teaser shows a young unemployed man complaining about his situation... when suddenly the ruling Saenuri Party's chairman appears in front of him.


"Are you alright? I surprised you, right?"


It's an advertisement for an application naming contest.
It's hoped the app will boost young people's participation in the political process.
The main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy is using webtoons as a means of explaining hot political issues in an easy to digest way.


"We're doing this in an effort to not let complicated policies be discussed only at the National Assembly, but to connect with young voters."

Due to high social network service penetration, these video clips and digital comics spread quickly, making it easier for the parties to spread their vision to the younger generation.
But, there are concerns about whether this is the best way to go about campaigning.



"When young people look at content on SNS or webtoons, they simply enjoy it and they don't take it that seriously. That's why there needs to be a more thorough understanding of cultural phenomena and young people's opinions, especially when the subject matter is so heavy and important."

Some say that, rather than focusing too much on how to make themselves more likeable, the parties should come up with practical strategies to tackle the biggest problems facing young people in Korea, such as the high youth unemployment rate.
Kwon Soa, Arirang News.