With the presidential election under way, many voters are posting online pictures of themselves after voting.

“This is the first time I voted. I am so happy to vote for someone I support!” exclaimed a 19-year-old student on her Twitter account. With the comment, she posted a picture of herself standing next to a polling station.

Such photos are called “injeung shot,” referring to a photo shot to confirm that he or she has completed a certain activity. “Injeung” is a Korean word meaning certification or confirmation.

In one of the most wired countries in the world, injeung shots have become a trend. A number of young Koreans take a quick picture before doing something out of the ordinary -- whether it’s having a gourmet meal or jumping out of an airplane -- and upload the photos instantly via smartphones.

A variety of injeung shot events offered by celebrity shows, store and online shopping malls show how deep the trend has penetrated into everyday lives of Koreans.

A popular daytime radio show, “Cultoo Show” invited listeners to send voting injeung shots via smartphones for a chance to win prizes. A theme zoo in Goyang city offered discounts to people who showed up with injeung shots of them voting.

Some people, such as actress Yun Eun-hye found themselves in hot water because of injeung shots.

Early Monday, Yun posted a picture on her standing next to a polling booth making a “V” sign with her fingers on her Twitter account.

Moments after her post, she was bombarded with comments pointing out that the “V” sign could be interpreted as “No. 2.” According to the law, one cannot post a photo implying support for a specific candidate on the day of the election.

The 18th presidential is expected to a tightly contested two-person race between Park Geun-hye of the ruling Saenuri Party and Moon Jae-in of the main opposition Democratic United Party.


By Yoon Min-sik
(minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)