The Emergence of Social Media Politics in South Korea

Abstract

This chapter aims to analyses the political role of social media, particularly their function as newly emerging channels of political learning and participation during the 2012 presidential election. It begins with a brief overview of South Korea's digital media environment, the political context of the 2012 presidential election campaign, and the main candidates' social media strategies. KakaoTalk attracted a huge following of all ages during the 2012 election, as many Koreans used it to receive real-time text messages from the main political candidates. The strong emergence of social media in the 2012 Korean presidential election simply marked the beginning of an important trend toward more voter engagement and participation in the campaign itself. While American citizens have been exposed extensively to such engagement efforts during the 2008 and 2012 U. S. presidential, most Koreans still have to get used to the idea that they themselves can actively participate in political elections with more than just their vote.