On bended knees for ballots

Korea Herald

26-05-2025

Full-body bow, once a symbol of deference, has become a go-to tactic for courting votes during election season
As the election nears, South Korea's presidential hopefuls are once again lowering themselves — literally — before voters. Kneeling down, they bow deeply, bending their entire upper bodies until their faces nearly, or even fully, touch the ground.
This traditional gesture, rooted in Confucian customs, is one of the highest forms of respect and expressions of obedience in Korea — typically reserved for parents or ancestors during rituals.
During election season, however, these deep bows transform into a symbolic pledge of service, as candidates appeal to the public for the chance to serve the people.
'Whether authentic or just for show, gestures of humility, like deep bowing by the political elite, still resonate with voters," says Cho Jin-man, a professor of political science and diplomacy at Duksung Women's University in Seoul.
The more desperate, the deeper the bow
Candidates facing more desperate odds tend to bow more frequently and deeply.
This election season, Kim Moon-soo, the presidential candidate from the conservative People Power Party, seems to have more reason than other contenders to make the gesture. Often, other party officials join him in bowing, creating a kind of spectacle with people bowing en masse.
Trailing behind the liberal front-runner Lee Jae-myung, the former labor minister has made the deep bow a central gesture of his campaign, repeating it across key regions, including Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Daegu.
Kim is fighting an uphill battle. A recent Hankook Research poll shows that 54 percent of voters support a change in government, following months of political turmoil triggered by President Yoon Suk Yeol's short-lived declaration of martial law late last year. Yoon, a member of the People Power Party until May 17, continues to cast a long shadow over the race.
In contrast, Lee Jae-myung, who holds a lead outside the margin of error, has rarely resorted to the deep bow. One notable moment came on May 15, when he knelt in the rain during a campaign speech in Suncheon, South Jeolla Province. He bowed deeply, saying he would never forget the sight of supporters standing in the rain to listen to his speech.
Professor Cho said deep bows are an effective way for politicians to shed their usual power-elite image and present themselves as more people-friendly.
The same logic, he added, explains why politicians tour traditional markets every election season — staging camera-friendly scenes of themselves eating street food like tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes) or gukbap (rice in hot soup).
'Political gestures often reflect the culture behind them,' he said. 'Hierarchies based on wealth and social class persist in modern Korea. And with the growing gap between rich and poor, Koreans are more sensitive than ever to issues of class and inequality.'
He added, 'Whether rich or poor, people can't help but feel a sense of privilege when someone powerful bows to them. Emotional appeals like these often resonate across social classes.'
The politics of deep bows
Deep bows have served Korean politicians not only as a tool to win over voters, but also as a gesture of contrition or resolve during moments of crisis — aimed at restoring trust or making a strong statement.
On May 11, the People Power Party's presidential hopeful Kim Moon-soo delivered a full bow on his knees before nearly 70 lawmakers of his party. The gesture followed a dramatic internal power struggle in which the party leadership attempted to revoke his candidacy. Although Kim had won the party primary on May 3, the leadership pushed to replace him with former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo. That move was overturned when party members voted to reinstate Kim in a dramatic reversal.
In his remarks, Kim apologized for the turmoil his candidacy had caused. His bow was widely seen as an effort to reconcile with party leaders and apologize to supporters and voters frustrated by the infighting.
In some cases, the deep bow is performed 108 times. Originally a meditative practice in Buddhism, the 108-bow ritual has taken on political significance in Korea as a form of protest or, in some cases, a show of desperation. Traditionally, the practice is meant to express repentance for one's wrongdoings or to liberate oneself from the sources of suffering.
In late March, approximately 1,000 members of the liberal Progressive Party from across the country gathered near Anguk Station, close to the Constitutional Court, performing 108 ceremonial bows to demand the swift dismissal of then-suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol over his declaration of martial law.
Earlier the same month, some 20 Buddhist lawmakers from the Democratic Party of Korea gathered at Jogyesa Temple in Seoul and performed 108 bows alongside monks, praying for political stability and calling for Yoon's ouster.