The Saenuri Party is the rightwing incumbent party in the upcoming general election for the South Korean National Assembly to be held on April 11th. Until recently know as the Grand National Party, they changed their name in February to the Saenuri Party [New Frontier Party], in a rebranding effort to distance themselves from the not so popular current president Lee Myung-bak.
One of their candidates, Representative Jeong Hong, has released an Angry Birds themed campaign video called ‘Hong-ry Birds’ where he dresses like an angry bird and launches himself at social issues.
Transcription of above video:
Text: Hongry Bird
Speaking: I’m.. doing this all for you
Text: Improvement has to start with the people representing you doesn’t it!
Speaking: If the citizenry enjoys this it will help to break up the system!
Speaking: I hope that young Korean citizens view this and… feel happy!
Text: Overly Competitive Education, Job Worries
Speaking: Naneun Ggomsuda’s (I’m a Rascal)~ Oh Juna! You should try this too~ It is really fun!!
Text: Fly! In which area should ‘Hong-ry Bird Saenuri improve?
Text: Who is next??
Translator’s note: 새-누리-당 (Sae-Nuri-Dang) is literally New-World-Party, although their official English name is New Frontier Party. However sae (새) in addition to meaning new, can also mean bird. So when Jeong Hong says, “I’ve become a bird for the Saenuri Party.” It can also mean “I’ve become a bird for the Bird-World Party.”
From The Kyunghyang Shinmun:
Representative Hong, has Really Become ‘a Bird’… I’m Doing This for all of you
On March 11th, the general elections for the National Assembly official started. And on the 29th, Jeong Hong, representative in the National Assembly in since the last election and current member of the Saenuri Party, dressed up as a ‘Hong-ry Bird’, as part of a campaign video. If you click on one of the Saenuri Party banner ads you see on portal sites, you can see National Assembly representative Jeong Hong wearing a red bird head covering. ‘I’v become a bird of the Saenuri Party’ it starts. Then is continues with the new catch phrase, ‘I’m a completely different candidate, with completely different promises!’
In the video Representative Hong has a uni-brow, a blue beak and red circles on both cheeks. ‘I’m going this far for all of you. And if my fellow citizens enjoy this, it will help to encourage other politicians to loosen up. I’m hoping that young Korean citizens will look at me and become happy.’ said the former representative. ‘Oh Juna from Naggomsu [a very controversial podcast] you should try this too. It is really fun.’ he says in the video.
‘Hyper Competitive Education’, which he proceeds to destroy. Those are some campaign issues that younger people can really understand. At the end of the video it says ‘Who is next?’, inferring that this might not just be a local campaign with Representative Hong, that other lawmakers might get involved in the production of this type of video.
Comments From The Kyunghyang Shinmun:
miseen:
This act has no sincerity and makes me want to vomit..
블라블라:
Who does that kind of thing? Why did you go crazy all on your own like that? All~ of you people who get power end up going that crazy, don’t you?
Gy Yeok Cho:
Wow looks like you are having a great time playing! We Koreans are all laughing at you. Now you are all going to be made to cry blood from your eyes. Look forward to it.
DucknimJo:
All corrupt people act like they don’t know what is going on. Don’t think that by dressing like a bird you are going to get any closer to the citizens
kaffain:
No matter how much you play instead of doing what the citizens want you to do, you will still have pathetically sad results in the election. And so you are people that only want to break up the system during election time?
최정우:
I really don’t like how you are treating us like simpletons. During every election, both sides make these fantastic policy pledges. They talk about how such and such policies are going to solve our problems, or how much they intend to fix our problems. And the result it that after we give our judgement and give them a seat in the assembly, they just go away for four years and come back empty handed. For three years and six months they do whatever they want, then for four months they are quiet, and then after that for two months they act like this. I’m not laughing inside and you think I’m going to repeat the same mistake of electing a white haired old man like you? Do I really look that dumb to you?
kkang7155:
This is an insult to Angry Birds!!!
bbt07:
If you continue with your new job, you will continue looking miserable and pathetic.
prohijung:
Dear God please take this piece of crap away… Hong, please don’t do anything and just stop moving. I’m begging you…
xor1820:
You guys shake up the system by leeching off of the tax payers money!! Ok you dirty bastards! shit!! *spitting sound*!!!
wjdcl:
Well here is a law that you can’t give us. First of all the Saenuri Party isn’t the party of birds, it is the party of rats, and you rats can’t change your nature. Once again you are running without any women and you wouldn’t realize an important issue if it hit you in the face. Don’t try to burry your heads in the sand our dear representatives.
nodistortion1:
This is pathetic… The only thing you guys care about is protecting your prize.
with_alpinist:
Oh God not this… The Saenuri Party really is beyond help.
