The Reconfiguration of E-Campaign Practices in Korea A Case Study of the Presidential Primaries of 2007

The dominance of the US model of electioneering in many countries worldwide seems less obvious when it comes to e-campaigning and its consequent influence on electoral results. This article details present e-campaign practices in South Korea, probably the most wired (and wireless) country in the world. By examining a case study of the 2007 presidential primaries of the Grand National Party (GNP), the largest opposition party in the South Korean National Assembly, this article explores how the online political climate of the country has evolved since the 16th presidential election held in 2002, the result of which was widely regarded as an 'Internet victory'. Based on the outcomes from webometrics, the study discusses the extent to which the candidates' applications of their campaign websites shape and are shaped by offline political dynamics and their overall campaign strategies.