TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - As South Korea's 21st presidential election approaches, several celebrities participated in early voting, which took place on May 29-30, 2025. These celebrities from the Land of the Morning Calm not only exercised their right to vote but also shared the experience on social media.
Through their posts, these celebrities encouraged the public to actively participate in the democratic process while maintaining neutrality, especially in their appearance, which could trigger political interpretations.
BTS J-Hope in All Black
Reported by Allkpop, BTS member J-Hope shared a photo of himself at a polling place in Oksu-dong, East Seoul. In the photo, he wore a hat, a mask, and an all-black t-shirt. He stood beside the polling place sign, free of political gestures or symbols.
IU's Natural Appearance with a Short Message
Singer and actress IU posted a message through her fan communication platform, Berriz, on May 30. She wrote, "I voted early yesterday. Today, you can still vote until 6 PM!!!" Accompanied by a photo of herself looking simple without makeup, wearing a neutral-colored cap and checkered shirt, IU elegantly demonstrated participation without the need for explicit statements.
Lee Chae Yeon
In her social media post on May 29, Lee Chae Yeon appeared with a blue wrist brace. To avoid any impression of supporting a specific political color, she included a photo of herself holding a container of red cherry tomatoes. "I can’t change the wrist brace, so I neutralize it with cherry tomatoes," she wrote.
Kim Go-eun, Han Ye-ri, and Comedian Cho Sae-ho
Actresses Kim Go-eun and Han Ye-ri also shared their voting moments with a calm style. Han Ye-ri wore black-and-white clothing, and Cho Sae-ho appeared simple with a mask without any striking poses, demonstrating their cautiousness towards the unwritten rule of "no color, no gesture," widely followed by public figures in South Korea.
Lee Seung-hwan
Unlike celebrities who maintain neutrality, singer Lee Seung-hwan appeared in bright blue clothing and openly showed his stance. He is known for being vocal in politics, including his support for the impeachment process of former President Yoon Suk Yeol.
South Korea will hold its presidential election on June 3, 2025. In this election, Lee Jae-myung of the liberal Democratic Party and Kim Moon-soo of the conservative People Power Party will face off.
Lee Jae-myung, who narrowly lost to Yoon in the 2022 presidential election, is now a frontrunner candidate. He gained significant sympathy after surviving a stabbing attempt and consistently rejecting Yoon's military emergency policies. His campaign emphasizes economic growth based on artificial intelligence and popular culture, as well as a more balanced diplomatic position between the U.S. and China.
However, Lee still faces legal uncertainties. The Supreme Court recently overturned his acquittal in a case of alleged false statements during the 2022 campaign. Although the retrial has been postponed until after the election, Lee could lose his parliamentary seat and be barred from running for 10 years if found guilty.
Kim Moon-soo, a former labor minister in Yoon's government, became the official conservative candidate after overcoming internal party conflicts. He resigned from his position and declared his candidacy due to the "call of the people." Kim promised to create new jobs and restore public trust in state institutions. Despite opposing Yoon's impeachment, Kim seeks to garner support from conservative voters disappointed with the situation.
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