A Cold-War era anti-communist slogan brought back to life after South Korean presidential candidate Yoon Seok-youl shared a post with the phrase, "myulgong," which means "crush commies" or "annihilate communism" has triggered a debate on whether the country should keep the strategic ambiguity policy that enables the government retains ties with both China and the United States, the Independent reports.

Yoon, of the main opposition conservative People Power Party (PPP), says if elected on March 9, 2022, he would end his country’s cautious tread between China and the United States, and align his foreign policies with the U.S. Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party (DP) said China remains an important trading partner to South Korea and emphasized its role in denuclearizing North Korea "can’t be dismissed."

A nationwide poll conducted by the Korea Society Opinion Institute over Dec 10-11, for example, determined that Yoon had an approval rating of 42% against Lee’s 40.6%, Al-Jazeera reported.

Chung Yong-jin, head of the retail giant Shinsegae, wrote the series of Instagram posts using the term "myulgong," or "crush commies" or "annihilate communism." Instagram first removed them before restoring the posts, saying they included words that instigated violence.

The social media campaign highlighted tactics by the conservatives to use slogans for political reasons, The Independent reported.

Most South Koreans appear to be less than enthusiastic about the election, with many stating they have no option other than voting for the candidate they perceive as "the lesser of two evils," Al-Jazeera reported.

"With most Koreans still drowning under household debt, and prominent politicians including presidential candidates showing no clear plan to get them back on their feet, the public’s anger towards the political class is still as strong as ever before," wrote Hyung-A Kim, an Associate Professor of Korean Politics and History at the Australian National University.

"South Koreans, especially young voters, want a leader who will increase social mobility and bring an end to their financial struggles. They also want a leader who will end corruption and make South Korean society more just and fair," Hyung-A wrote.

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