'Catch the Running Opinion Leader'

"See that banner hanging over there? That's Candidate A in the mayoral election. He has no political sense whatsoever and his administrative capabilities are lacking..."

A taxi driver casually brings up the subject with passengers. The fifteen-minute ride from City Hall intersection to Suwon Station gives the driver plenty of time to share his views on Candidate A. Even passengers with little interest in politics will remember the candidate's name by the time they get out. When they later see the name mentioned in newspapers or broadcasts, they think, "Oh, that person!" and feel a certain familiarity. This is why taxi drivers are called 'running opinion leaders.'

With less than three months remaining until the Suwon mayoral election, taxi drivers have become a core electoral strategy for each campaign. Han Nara Party candidate Kwon In-taek plans to visit taxi companies in the coming weeks to appeal for support. Kwon's camp stated, "Considering taxi drivers' busy schedules, we plan to visit the company's monthly 'character development training' sessions to raise name recognition."

Han Nara Party candidate Lee Yun-hee went further, announcing on the 8th that she would create rest stops where taxi drivers could take brief breaks during their shifts. She visited the Gyeonggi headquarters of the Korean Taxi Drivers Union, praising taxi drivers and saying, "If citizens' transportation is safe, then citizens' safety is guaranteed." The Democratic Party's Yom Tae-young camp also stated, "First, building common ground with taxi drivers will be important," adding that they are "preparing forums and experience activities."

Han Nara Party candidate Lee Jung-hwa's camp is encouraging office staff to take taxis. It is known that the candidate's wife is personally leading the taxi-riding campaign, saying, "We must make taxi drivers aware of the candidate's name during their commutes."

A taxi driver met at Suwon Station evaluated the situation, saying, "Depending on whether taxi drivers lead the narrative positively or negatively, election results can be reversed, and if a driver makes negative statements about a candidate to rural residents or elderly people who lack information, the consequences can be fatal." Meanwhile, approximately 4,760 taxis operate in Suwon, with tens of thousands of passengers using them daily.