Encouraging vote: from celebrities to fans

Korea Herald

03-06-2025

Celebrities encourage voting, while fans add a little fun with 'voting certification paper'
On Tuesday, celebrities took to social media to show proof of voting and to encourage others to do the same. Fans also created their own rituals around voting, turning participation into a kind of communal activity or a campaign.
While many stars posted selfies and photos from polling stations, actors and musicians were careful not to reveal numbers or colors associated with particular political parties in their photos as expressing political preferences is often considered taboo for Korean celebrities.
Ateez members Seonghwa and Hongjoong cast their votes on Tuesday and shared a selfie on social media. Both were dressed in neutral-toned outfits. Actor Yoon Eun-Hye also posted a photo taken in front of the voting station on Tuesday, wearing a brown hat and ivory top.
J-Hope of BTS and IU, who had participated in early voting, had earlier posted selfies wearing all-black outfits, including their hats. The five Korean members of rookie boy band KickFlip, who also took part in early voting together, posted a photo of their hands with vote stamps.
Singer Lee Chae-yeon, who couldn't remove her blue wrist brace — a color strongly associated with the Democratic Party of Korea — held red cherry tomatoes in the other hand to "neutralize" the photo with red, the color of the People Power Party.
Some celebrities encouraged voting more directly, by sending messages via fan communication platforms.
Actor Lee Dong-wook sent a message via fan communication platform Bubble on Sunday and said that he had participated in early voting. He went on to urge fans to vote, saying, 'To those who say there's no one worth voting for, I always say this: Voting is about preventing the worst. If you can't choose the best, go for the second best. If there's no second best, choose the lesser evil to stop the worst.'
Haewon of Nmixx also appeared on Bubble saying, "I've participated in early voting. Let's all vote together."
Fans add element of fun
While celebrities called for their fans to exercise one's right to vote, fans combined voting and their affection for their stars by creating 'voting certification papers.'
Voters in Korea often stamp the back of their hands as proof of having voted. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, plastic gloves became mandatory at polling stations, making it difficult to stamp hands. This led to the rise of creative alternatives like voting certification papers, which seem to be here to stay.
These papers are themed templates that fans either design themselves or download from free sources. Typically, the design features a vacant space such as a character's face or a speech bubble, where voters can place their vote stamp and then share the image on social media.
Fans design and distribute these templates online, often incorporating K-pop lightsticks, group logos or even the Korean flag. One BTS fan created and shared a design combining the Army Bomb, the group's lightstick, and the Taegeukgi, the Korean flag.
Groups such as Ateez, xikers and Billlie even shared voting certification paper templates via their official accounts on social platform X, featuring their logos or mascots.
This trend isn't limited to the K-pop scene; it has expanded to include professional sports leagues such as baseball and soccer, as well as popular character designs from emoji and sticker artists.
Even without a custom voting paper, fans have found other creative ways to include their favorite stars in the voting process, such as stamping directly onto a K-pop idol's photocard and sharing the image online.
Stamping and posting a picture of a personal item like a custom paper or photocard is not in violation of the law. However, the photo must be taken outside the polling booth. According to the National Election Commission, photographing a ballot inside the booth can result in up to two years imprisonment or a fine of up to 4 million won ($2,900).