TV graphics put fun into South Korean election count
Seoul - Two candidates vying to be president vigorously plunge a toilet, kick a football, then pop open a soda – it can only be South Korean election night, where whacky graphics strive to make vote-counting fun.
'Harry Potter', 'Squid Game', a rigorous spinning class... no reference is too small or too bizarre to be mined by broadcaster SBS for outlandish CGI-animated graphics to attract viewers – and, the journalists behind it say, make politics more accessible and engaging.
Thanks to a dozens-strong specialist team at SBS, the dry work of tallying millions of ballots on the evening of June 3, after South Koreans vote for their next leader, will be transformed into an Olympic-level spectacle.
'The pressure is on,' SBS broadcast journalist Son Hyoung-an, who has been working on the election graphics team since before the poll was announced, told AFP.
'Everyone is asking us what we will do next, and they are excited to see what we'll bring to the table,' said Son.
The tradition began around a decade ago, when South Korean networks noticed they could get more eyeballs on election night by leaning into the country's strong K-pop and K-drama tradition, and by trying to make politics fun and entertaining.
It started with simple 2D visuals – the most striking of which showed candidates walking up a building horizontally – but, with an enthusiastic response, it has grown in scale and scope.
Now, most Korean networks run sophisticated animated sequences that show the candidates' faces and body movements – with their permission – using actors to create the movements, then splicing the real faces on top.
Snap election
The 2025 poll posed a particular challenge, as it is a snap election after ex-president Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached and stripped of office over his abortive martial law declaration, meaning that SBS's election team had hardly any time to prepare.
'We need to do five months worth of work in a matter of weeks,' Son told AFP, adding that convincing the super-busy candidates to spare them a few minutes to film their faces for the graphics was tough.
The front runner, liberal Lee Jae-myung, ran in 2022 and lost to Yoon by the narrowest margin in the country's history – meaning SBS already had footage of him from their previous coverage.
The challenge was with Mr Kim Moon-soo, the conservative former labour minister and ruling People Power Party nominee – but his team said he was too busy and kept rejecting the election graphics team requests.
Eventually, they secured three minutes with him in front of a green screen.
Then they just had to come up with the graphics.
One of the themes is 'Squid Game', with the animations showing Lee and Mr Kim competing in classic childhood games from the hit Netflix series, from 'red light, green light' to 'ddakji'.
'Even the smallest ideas are welcome,' SBS journalist Kim Deok-hyun, told AFP.
'We gather personal memories, joyful moments - anything the team finds entertaining – without filtering or holding back.'
One team member had a particularly good spinning class and suggested it could work for election night. In the graphic, both candidates' heads bob furiously as they ride indoor bicycles, their vote share rising with each pedal stroke.
For voters frustrated by the country's political turmoil, another sequence features a sound effect known in Korean as 'bbeong' – the noise a fizzy drink makes when opened, or the thwack of a football, or the gurgle when a toilet is unclogged.
Rap battle
SBS is particularly well-known for its election graphics, but all South Korean networks do it – with one rival channel going viral last year for a rap battle between candidates.
'It does make you wonder, can we go this far with people who might become the president?' said Mr Kim.
But the journalists behind SBS's offerings say that the purpose of the graphics is to create a 'flow' to engage viewers and keep them hooked on the democratic process.
Early in the day while voting is underway, coverage is more restrained, but once exit polls are out 'we'll roll out fast-paced, high-energy items, with rapid-fire summaries to help viewers follow the evolving picture', said Kim.
'We want people to look forward to our election night coverage, the way they anticipate a new film, thinking, 'I can't wait to see what they do this time'.'
Experts agree that graphics can help keep viewers – and voters – engaged.
'Eye-catching graphics could be valuable, if they serve to draw attention not just to visuals but to substantive content that helps elevate the political discourse in our country,' Prof Kim Seo-joong of Sungkonghoe University said. AFP
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNA
an hour ago
- CNA
Liberal Lee Jae-myung wins South Korea presidency in martial law 'judgement day'
SEOUL: South Korea's liberal party candidate, Lee Jae-myung, was elected president in Tuesday's (Jun 3) snap election, six months to the day after he evaded military cordons to vote against a shock martial law decree imposed by his ousted predecessor. Lee's victory stands to usher in a political sea change in Asia's fourth-largest economy, after the backlash against the martial law brought down Yoon Suk Yeol, the conservative outsider who narrowly beat Lee in the 2022 election. Nearly 80 percent of South Korea's 44.39 million eligible voters cast their ballots, the highest turnout for a presidential election in the country since 1997, with Lee terming the polls "judgment day" against Yoon's martial law and the People Power Party's failure to distance itself from that decision. With more than 99 percent of the votes counted, the Democratic Party's Lee stood at 49.3 percent to PPP candidate Kim Moon-soo's 41.3 percent, according to National Election Commission data. A subdued Kim conceded the race and congratulated Lee in brief remarks to reporters. Lee had long been favoured to win, and his supporters erupted in cheers as exit polls by the country's major broadcasters showed him defeating Kim by wide margins. In a brief speech to supporters gathered outside parliament after the polls closed, Lee said he would fulfil the duties of the office and bring unity to the country. "We can overcome this temporary difficulty with the combined strength of our people, who have great capabilities," he said. He also vowed to revive the economy and seek peace with nuclear-armed North Korea through dialogue and strength. The martial law decree and the six months of ensuing turmoil, which saw three different acting presidents and multiple criminal insurrection trials for Yoon and several top officials, marked a stunning political self-destruction for the former leader and effectively handed the presidency to his main rival. Yoon was impeached by the Lee-led parliament, then removed from office by the Constitutional Court in April, less than three years into his five-year term, triggering the snap election that now stands to remake the country's political leadership and foreign policies of a key US ally. Lee has accused the PPP of having condoned the martial law attempt by not fighting harder to thwart it and even trying to save Yoon's presidency. Kim was Yoon's labour minister when the former president declared martial law on Dec 3. "I was here on Dec 3 after martial was declared and December 14 when Yoon was impeached," said Choi Mi-jeong, 55, a science teacher who gathered outside parliament to hear Lee speak. "Now Lee Jae-myung is becoming president. I hope he will become a leader who supports ordinary people, not vested interests, not a small number of riches." US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce told a briefing that Washington was awaiting final certification before commenting. Official results were expected to be certified by the National Election Commission on Wednesday morning after ballots are sorted and counted by machine, then triple-checked by election officials by hand to verify accuracy. Just hours later, the inauguration ceremony is planned. NEED FOR CHANGE Park Chan-dae, acting leader of Lee's Democratic Party, told KBS that the projections suggest voters rejected the martial law attempt and are hoping for an improvement in their livelihoods. "I think people made a fiery judgment against the insurrection regime," he said. The winner must tackle challenges including a society deeply scarred by divisions made more obvious since the attempt at military rule, and an export-heavy economy reeling from unpredictable protectionist moves by the United States, a major trading partner and a security ally. Both Lee and Kim pledged change for the country, saying a political system and economic model set up during its rise as a budding democracy and industrial power are no longer fit for purpose. Their proposals for investment in innovation and technology often overlapped, but Lee advocated more equity and help for mid- to low-income families while Kim campaigned on giving businesses more freedom from regulations and labour strife. Lee is expected to be more conciliatory toward China and North Korea, but has pledged to continue the Yoon-era engagement with Japan. Kim branded Lee a "dictator" and his Democratic Party a "monster," warning if the former human rights lawyer becomes president, nothing will stop them from working together to amend laws simply because they do not like them. 'POLARISED' "The economy has gotten so much worse since Dec 3, not just for me but I hear that from everybody," Kim Kwang-ma, 81, said. "And we as a people have become so polarised... I wish we could come together so that Korea can develop again." There were no female candidates running in Tuesday's election for the first time in 18 years. Despite polls showing wide gaps between young men and women, gender equality was not among the key policy issues put forward during this election, a stark contrast from the 2022 vote. "One thing I am a bit frustrated about with mainstream candidates whether Lee Jae-myung or other conservative candidates is they lack policy on women or minority groups," said Kwon Seo-hyun, 18, a university freshman and first-time voter who went out to the streets for anti-Yoon protests following his martial law.
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
Musk calls Trump's tax-cut and spending Bill ‘a disgusting abomination'
US billionaire Elon Musk says the Trump Bill would add US$3.8 trillion to the federal government's US$36.2 trillion in debt. PHOTO: AFP WASHINGTON - Elon Musk on June 3 amplified his criticism of the sweeping tax and spending Bill that President Donald Trump has been pushing fellow Republicans in Congress to embrace, calling it a 'disgusting abomination' that will increase the deficit. 'I'm sorry, but I just can't stand it anymore,' billionaire Musk wrote in an X post. 'This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending Bill is a disgusting abomination. 'Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it.' The House of Representatives in May passed the Bill by one vote, after the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said the measure – which would extend the 2017 tax cuts that were Trump's main legislative accomplishment in his first term – would add US$3.8 trillion to the federal government's US$36.2 trillion in debt. The Senate, also controlled by Trump's Republicans, aims to pass the measure in the next month, though senators are expected to revise the House-passed version of the Bill. Trump-appointed Mr Musk, the world's richest person, to lead a government cost-cutting and efficiency drive, during which he upended several federal agencies but ultimately failed to deliver the massive savings he had sought. Mr Musk left his formal role in the administration last week as his time as a special government employee with the Department of Government Efficiency, or Dofe, came to an end. The Tesla CEO also criticised the Bill in an interview the week before he left, saying it will undermine DOGE's work. Mr Trump brushed off the criticism. Mr Musk came out against it even more strongly on June 3. 'It will massively increase the already gigantic budget deficit to US$2.5 trillion (!!!) and burden America citizens with crushingly unsustainable debt,' Mr Musk said on X. The White House dismissed the most recent attack. 'Look, the president already knows where Elon Musk stood on this Bill,' spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said at a White House briefing. 'It doesn't change the president's opinion. This is one big, beautiful Bill, and he's sticking to it.' Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune, who aims to pass the Bill through his chamber in the next month, said he disagreed with Mr Musk. 'My hope is that as he has an opportunity to further assess what this Bill actually does, that he comes to a different conclusion,' Mr Thune, of South Dakota, told reporters. 'But nevertheless, I mean, we have a job to do.' Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
South Korea's new leader to seek more time for US trade talks
FILE PHOTO: Lee Jae-myung delivers his speech during a national convention of South Korea's Democratic Party to choose their candidate for upcoming presidential election, in Goyang, South Korea, April 27, 2025. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji/File Photo South Korea's new leader to seek more time for US trade talks SEOUL - The new South Korean administration will likely make efforts to buy time for U.S. trade talks, as it studies the negotiations of bigger neighbours Japan and China for leverage, according to sources familiar with the ruling party's thinking. President Lee Jae-myung, who is due to take office hours after winning the June 3 snap presidential election without a usual two-month transition period, said on the eve of the elections that "the most pressing matter is trade negotiations with the United States." The future of South Korea's export-oriented economy will hinge on what kind of deal Lee can strike, with all of his country's key sectors from chips to autos and shipbuilding heavily exposed to global trade. The new president and his liberal Democratic Party government inherit an economy that is expected to grow this year by a grim 0.8%, the weakest since 2020, and will need to unify a country deeply polarised by ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol's botched martial law attempt. South Korea and other countries may face further pressure, as a draft letter seen by Reuters showed the Trump administration wanted countries to provide their best offer on trade negotiations by Wednesday. A trade ministry official declined to confirm if Seoul had received the letter. But the transition of power after a six-month leadership vacuum provides Seoul with an excuse to slow down its negotiations and observe Washington's tariff talks with other countries, lawmakers, officials and trade experts from the Democratic Party said. "The new administration will need to take a fresh look at the overall framework of the negotiations and that will be a buffer to buy time, which the U.S. cannot reject," said a trade expert who took part in brainstorming for Lee's trade strategies. The sources added the administration may not be able to immediately ask Trump for an extension, and Lee's top diplomacy adviser has said he sees such a request being considered only after reviewing the progress. Still, prolonged negotiations by other countries may help to buy Seoul time. "It will be strategically right to take a wait-and-see stance because the situation is changing within the United States and around negotiations of other countries," one lawmaker said. STRATEGIC SILENCE South Korea, a major U.S. ally and one of the first countries to engage with Washington after Japan, agreed in late April to craft a "July package" scrapping levies before the 90-day pause on Trump's reciprocal tariffs is lifted, but progress was disrupted by continued upheavals in South Korea's leadership. Lee has since stressed there is no need to rush into clinching a deal and the deadline of July 8 set between Seoul and Washington should be reconsidered. During his election campaign, Lee did not make specific comments about contentious issues around the trade talks. That "silence" was a strategic move, a party official said. In a statement after his victory, the Korea International Trade Association called for Lee to "respond quickly to the rapidly changing foreign trade order" and use all of the government's diplomatic and trade resources to pursue a practical negotiation strategy. Trump's across-the-board tariffs on trading partners, including 25% duties on South Korea, have been the subject of ongoing litigation, but remain in place. "For different reasons, China and Japan will be references for us, with the former on the possibility of U.S. policy changes and the latter on how to make moves under a similar circumstance," another trade expert said. Japan, another U.S. ally slapped with 24% tariffs, no longer sees merit in striking a quick deal, unless it is granted an exemption from 25% product-specific duties on its key industry of automobiles, also a major sector for South Korea. China agreed with the U.S. to significantly unwind their tariffs on each other in a 90-day truce signed in mid-May, but Trump last week accused Beijing of violating the agreement and threatened to take tougher actions. When it comes to joint responses to U.S. tariffs, there is a higher possibility with Japan than China, two sources said, citing shared interest in energy purchases and auto tariffs. Lee's party expects there to be some "two-track" transitional period, with current officials continuing negotiations as the new administration formulates its strategies, according to the official. BETTER POSITIONED Given its strength in key sectors of U.S. interest, such as shipbuilding and technology, some analysts see South Korea as better positioned than others in the region, as Seoul prepares a separate package of industrial cooperation for bargaining power. "Successful outcomes require offers that support the president's domestic agenda, and this will be comparatively easy for Korea given its importance in politically sensitive industries," said Jay Truesdale, a former U.S. diplomat and CEO of TD International, an advisory firm in Washington, D.C. Kathleen Oh, Morgan Stanley's chief Korea and Taiwan economist, said: "We believe there may be more channels and enough scope for Korea to work out a deal compared to, let's say, its exporting peer Taiwan." South Korea has the scope to decrease its trade surplus with the U.S. via more import purchases, while it can also offer to lower tariffs on agricultural products, particularly rice, quoted by Trump as a high tariff example, Oh said. But, for the Lee administration, that is more the reason it does not have to rush, the second trade expert said. "In the worst-case scenario, if tariffs are adjusted after we sign an agreement, that might mean we made unnecessary concessions," the source said, adding "it's not like we don't have any leverage". REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
