"I'm eating tteokbokki after voting."
A recent post on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, drew attention by featuring a photo of red tteokbokki alongside a blue-colored version of the same Korean spicy rice cake dish. The pairing was interpreted as an attempt to avoid having the red photo alone be misread as a symbol of a particular political party during election season, prompting the user to post a blue version as well.
Internet users responded with amusement, calling it "a tear-jerking effort to maintain political neutrality" and "perfectly balanced."
As the main voting for the 9th nationwide local elections takes place Tuesday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 14,288 polling stations across the country, the annual "color controversy" is once again heating up online.
According to the National Election Commission, 10,498,411 of approximately 44.65 million eligible voters participated in early voting held on May 29-30, recording a turnout of 23.51%. It marks the highest figure ever for nationwide local elections.
◇ Color Controversies Recurring Every Election Season = During election periods, blue and red carry meanings beyond mere colors. Recognized as the symbolic colors of the ruling and opposition parties, they are often unintentionally interpreted as political messages.
Rapper Lee Young-ji recently sparked controversy after posting a photo of her newly red-dyed hair on Instagram. Some internet users reacted with comments such as "Isn't this revealing political colors during election season?" and "Why post red hair right now?"
Lee eventually re-dyed her hair black and posted an apology, saying, "I was aware that this is an important time, but I posted the recent photo out of a desire to communicate."
Singer Lee Seung-hwan experienced a similar reaction after posting a verification photo wearing a red T-shirt following early voting. Online responses ranged from speculation that "his political orientation may have changed" to comments that "Lee Seung-hwan doesn't get misunderstood even when wearing red."
◇ "Clothing Color Doesn't Matter"... The Issue Is Candidate Names and Numbers = In fact, the Public Official Election Act has no provision prohibiting voters from wearing clothing of specific colors.
However, Article 166-3 of the Public Official Election Act prohibits wearing markings that could influence the election on election day. Accordingly, clothing bearing specific candidate names or numbers, as well as campaign attire, is restricted.
"There are no regulations restricting the color of clothing worn when voting," a National Election Commission official said. "Only clothing containing party or candidate names or numbers, or campaign attire, is restricted."
◇ From "Rainbow Fashion" to DIY Ballots = As color controversies have repeated, celebrities have employed various methods to avoid misunderstandings.
Singer Defconn revealed a voting verification photo during the 19th presidential election wearing an outfit half blue and half red. During the 20th presidential election, he drew attention by wearing a coat featuring red, blue, yellow, and white all together.
Rapper Superbee also visited a polling station during the 20th presidential election wearing a red top and hat with blue bottoms and shoes. He drew further attention by simultaneously holding up the numbers 1 and 2 with each hand. The gesture appeared conscious of the risk of being drawn into political orientation controversies based on clothing color or hand gestures.
Recently, voting verification culture has also been changing. Creating one's own ballot for verification has emerged as a notable trend.
People design papers featuring cute characters or distinctive phrases, stamp them inside the voting booth, and post verification photos. Cases of idol fandoms sharing their own self-designed voting verification papers or individuals distributing custom-made versions are also increasing.
