"Former No. 1 in MapleStory Beginner Rankings (2006)."
This unusual line of credentials appears on the campaign poster of Kim Joo-yeon, a candidate for the Gwangjin District Council running on the Reform Party ticket. As the June 3 local elections approach, candidates' unconventional promotional tactics aimed at winning over voters are drawing attention.
According to political circles on Thursday, Kim included "Former No. 1 in MapleStory Beginner Rankings" on her campaign brochures and posters. The case of placing online gaming credentials prominently on official election materials has generated buzz across online communities and social media.
In MapleStory, a popular online game by Nexon, "Beginner" refers to a default character that has not selected a job class. Since the game is structured to encourage players to quickly advance to a job class and level up, maintaining a high ranking while remaining in Beginner status requires considerable time and effort, according to game users.
Once the news spread, online reactions were divided. Some netizens commented, "The viral marketing definitely worked," "A proud candidate produced by MapleStory," and "That's actually something worth bragging about." Others expressed negative views, saying, "Is this election a children's game?" "It just makes me sigh," and "I had to question my eyes."
Another eye-catching campaign display drew attention in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province. Roh Myung-sook, a People Power Party candidate for the North Chungcheong Provincial Council, and Lee Han-kook, a People Power Party candidate for the Cheongju City Council, hung banners on the upper and lower floors of the same building.
Roh, on the upper floor, introduced herself as a "mother of three" and added the line, "Note: Not related to the candidate downstairs." Lee, directly below, promoted himself as a "father of three" and responded with the line, "Note: Not related to the candidate upstairs."
The campaign material of Lee Jin-sook, the People Power Party candidate in the National Assembly by-election for Dalseong County, Daegu, also drew attention. Lee featured a photo from the time she was arrested for failing to comply with police summons. The photo shows Lee with her hands restrained. Alongside the image was the message, "When liberal democracy was shaken, Lee Jin-sook did not back down."
