Candidates join campaign to use positive, respectful language

In this combined photo, four presidential candidates show signed pledges calling for the use of positive language after joining the Sunfull Foundation's campaign. Clockwise from the top left are ruling Democratic Party of Korea candidate Lee Jae-myung, main opposition People Power Party candidate Yoon Suk-yeol, National Revolutionary Party candidate Huh Kyung-young and Justice Party candidate Sim Sang-jung. Photos from the Sunfull Foundation

By Lee Hae-rin

A number of presidential candidates running for the March 9 election have vowed to use positive and respectful language during the race.

The Sunfull Foundation teamed up with the National Election Commission to run a signature-gathering campaign to establish a fair and sound electoral culture.

Seven presidential candidates, including ruling Democratic Party of Korea candidate Lee Jae-myung, main opposition People Power Party candidate Yoon Suk-yeol and Justice Party candidate Sim Sang-jung, have shown their support for the campaign.

The campaign calls for the candidates to avoid slander and baseless statements against their opponents during the race and to fulfill their campaign pledges if they get elected.

The foundation also runs a citizen-led relay campaign calling for a clean election and monitors language on social media.

"We hope that the presidential candidates will stop negative attacks on each other and concentrate on fulfilling their pledges and policies for the people," Sunfull Foundation Chairman Min Byoung-chul said.

Following the deaths of several celebrities from cyberbullying in 2007, Min, an English educator and chair professor in the College of Business and Economics at Chung-Ang University, created the concept of "sunfull" to mean a positive comment in Korean, and established the foundation to confront online hate speech.

The foundation has organized several youth-led movements against hate speech and internet harassment.

Since 2008, the foundation has led a similar campaign with lawmakers to encourage the use of positive words and actions. As of March 3, 287 out of 300 incumbent lawmakers have joined the foundation's Internet Peace Movement.

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