"Your precious 0 votes"... 'Advertising Genius' Lee Je-seok talks about public interest campaigns

Input: 2026-07-10 06:36:09

Updated: 2026-07-10 06:36:09

Public service advertiser Lee Je-seok speaks about the controversy over the ballot shortage and the recording methods of public service campaigns during an interview on the 29th of last month.

Photo by Reporter Han Seung-gon [Financial News] "If there is a problem, we should diagnose it, devise countermeasures, and if there is something to be punished, we should be punished. However, I am concerned that this issue is turning into partisan sentiment. " Public service advertiser Lee Je-seok made these remarks regarding the controversy over the ballot shortage during the June 3 local elections.

He stated that this issue should not be viewed in terms of the advantages or disadvantages of a specific political camp, but rather as a "problem where suffrage rights have been undermined. " In an interview conducted on the 29th of last month, Mr. Lee emphasized that the shortage of ballots means that voters could not have exercised their right to vote on time.

He argued that this should be treated as an issue where citizens re-examine the election management culture, rather than as a slogan from the political sphere. The controversy over the ballot shortage arose when some polling stations ran out of paper during the main voting process of the local elections on June 3. According to data submitted to the National Assembly by the National Election Commission, it was tallied that 7,194 ballots were short at 91 polling stations nationwide.

"The flower of democracy is being sold out. " Mr. Lee stated that when he first encountered the ballot shortage, he "viewed it as a problem where suffrage had been undermined.

" While describing the election management issue as "a problem of unmonitored power," he distanced himself from framing it as election fraud or a slogan of a specific political force. He said, "I understand everyone's concerns," but added, "The problem must be resolved by the private sector and experts, not led by the government or politics. " He explained that the facts, accountability, and measures to prevent recurrence must be examined in sequence.

Mr. Lee's decision to stage a performance on the ground stemmed from this same awareness of the issue. On the 11th of last month, he unveiled a performance satirizing the ballot shortage in front of the National Election Commission in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province.

At the time, posters and banners bearing the slogans "Your precious 0 votes" and "The flower of democracy is sold out" appeared at the scene. An official from the National Election Commission stopped the performance on the spot and removed the banners. Lee Je-seok, a public service advertising expert and representative of the 'Lee Je-seok Advertising Research Institute,' is staging a surprise performance satirizing the ballot shortage in front of the National Election Commission in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province on the 11th.

June 11, 2026 / Yonhap News "More of action than genius" A public service advertisement warning of the dangers of air pollution by depicting chimney smoke as smoke from a gun barrel (left), and an anti-war public service advertisement (right) featuring a poster of a soldier holding a gun wrapped around a circular pillar so that the muzzle is pointed at the viewer. Photo = Lee Je-seok Advertising Research Institute Mr. Lee drew a line regarding the label "advertising genius" that follows him.

He explained that he is closer to someone who is quick to execute than a genius. He argues that what is more important than the idea itself is the speed at which a problem is identified and then transferred to the actual site. "There are not many organizations that can plan in the morning and head out to the field in the afternoon," he said.

He noted that while the review, approval, and coordination processes tend to be longer in larger organizations, the significance of public interest campaigns diminishes if the timing is missed. He explained that the message is only effectively conveyed when citizens can see and feel it while social controversy is at its peak. The speed of execution is also considered crucial in public interest campaigns.

Mr. Lee stated, "Social campaigns have a specific timing," adding, "It may appear impulsive, but I deliberate for a long time beforehand, and jump in immediately when the signal comes. " He explained that while he weighs the nature of the agenda, the level of expression, and anticipated reactions before heading out to the field, he moves immediately once he determines that the time for action has arrived.

Since establishing the Lee Jae-seok Advertising Research Institute in 2009, he has primarily focused on public service advertisements and public campaigns. He has covered various issues, including Dokdo, historical distortion, North Korean human rights, Fukushima contaminated water, war, and the issue of detained citizens. As the agenda was broad, political interpretations followed.

Mr. Lee stated that the most burdensome aspect was when public interest campaigns were perceived solely through the lens of a specific political camp. He noted that some projects were attacked by conservatives, while others were criticized by progressives.

However, he explained that his criterion is public interest, not political affiliation. He believes the role of public interest campaigns is to visually expose socially overlooked issues and to encourage citizens to speak about them again. **How the 20s and 30s Move Now** Public service advertiser Lee Je-seok explains his method of documenting public interest campaign sites while looking at a laptop screen during an interview on the 29th of last month.

Photo by Reporter Han Seung-gon. In this campaign, Mr.

Lee focused on the participation style of the 20s and 30s generation. He observed that short videos, on-site photos, and online sharing move faster than lengthy statements or meeting materials.

He observed that the method of immediately filming what happens on-site, editing it into a short clip to upload, and having it shared by many people has become the delivery channel for public service campaigns. Mr.

Lee stated that since we now live in an era where anyone can film with a mobile phone and edit immediately, capturing what is seen on-site has become crucial. In the past, it was common practice to organize campaign scenes with just a few photos and materials.

However, now, conversations at the scene, reactions from the surroundings, the installation process, scenes of restraint, and even the removal all become part of the record. He remarked, "There is a world of difference between a single photo of a banner and a video of people protesting and demanding an explanation on-site," adding that "the situation itself is a photograph of the times.

" This explains that the site where the result is placed, the reactions that emerged from it, and the conversations surrounding it hold greater significance than the finished product. Mr.

Lee noted that the 20s and 30s generations are more accustomed to this approach. It involves sharing social issues through short videos and images rather than summarizing them in long texts, and then spreading the scenes witnessed on-site online.

He stated that the younger generation can record and publicize on-site issues using only mobile phones and editing apps, without necessarily having to build massive organizations. He also noted that this trend has lowered the barrier to entry for public service campaigns.

He explained that while advertising production equipment and media execution costs were required in the past, on-site presence and speed have now become more important. Mr.

Lee analyzed, "The era where only experts created campaigns is over," adding, "Citizens directly observing, filming, and documenting events has also become a method of public service campaigning. " On-site documentation is more important than views.

Public service advertiser Lee Je-seok displays the laptop, mobile phone, filming equipment, and props he typically uses at public service campaign sites on his desk. Photo by Reporter Han Seung-gon.

Mr. Lee stated that he does not view videos and social media merely as simple promotional tools.

He said, "Documents are more important than views. " He explained that events occurring on-site must be recorded so that they can be reviewed and evaluated later.

He mentioned that he, too, realized the necessity of video documentation and social media belatedly. Lee stated that while he previously felt distant from online culture, he is now paying attention to ways in which people's faces, voices, and on-site episodes are preserved.

Lee is also considering follow-up work regarding the ballot shortage incident. However, he noted that he feels burdened by the possibility of political misunderstandings as the issue escalates.

He explained that while he considered methods such as a poster contest satirizing the ballots, he is currently observing the situation to find a direction that would provoke less resistance. The controversy over the ballot shortage has moved to an investigation by the National Assembly and the National Election Commission.

Lee stated that, separate from that process, he will continue a public service campaign that records scenes directly seen and heard by citizens.

[email protected] Han Seung-gon Reporter

· This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.

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