Presidential toilet plunging: Behind Korea's wacky election coverage graphics

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Presidential toilet plunging: Behind Korea's wacky election coverage graphics

Published: 04 Jun. 2025, 20:02 Updated: 07 Jun. 2025, 12:42

KIM JI-YE
[email protected]

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

CGI graphics from SBS's presidential election vote count coverage [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Capybaras, car racing and toilet plunging — what do they have in common?

They were all part of Korea’s presidential election vote count broadcasts aired Tuesday evening, along with Netflix's "Squid Game" (2021-) and hanbok (traditional Korean dress).

In order to glue viewers to the screen for what could have been a long and boring show, broadcasters have a history of coming up with quirky ways to make the vote count more fun, merging pop culture with cutting-edge technology as they run through a regional exit poll breakdown before tracking incoming results.

This year was no exception, with the added flair of AI and immersive graphics to heighten the excitement.

CGI graphics from SBS's presidential election vote count coverage [SCREEN CAPTURE]

How were this year's eye-catchers?

This year’s election was abrupt, held just 60 days after former President Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached in the middle of his term for declaring emergency martial law on Dec. 3 last year. The impeachment was finalized on April 4.

With little time to prepare for the snap election, as broadcasters usually prepare for the coverage a year or at least six months in advance, they were forced to work on a much tighter timeline.

“While the overall production spanned about six months, the final push only began once things were officially confirmed — meaning we had just about two weeks of real preparation time," said Ji Yeon-jeong of the SBS communication team to the Korea JoongAng Daily.

Despite the shortened timeline, the local broadcasters did not disappoint viewers this year as well.

SBS — known for going over the top with graphics during elections — showcased an array of CGI animations, with the aim of “killing two birds with one stone — both fun and facts.”

From lottery tickets and white teddy bears to candidates’ faces edited onto indoor cycling avatars and characters from SBS dramas like “Dr. Romantic” (2016-23), “The Fiery Priest” (2019-24) and “Hot Stove League” (2019-20), the broadcaster pulled out all the stops to captivate viewers. But the most eye-catching was definitely the parody of Netflix’s hit series “Squid Game," featuring iconic games such as “Red Light, Green Light” and tug-of-war, along with the show's signature money pot.

CGI graphics from SBS's presidential election vote count coverage [SCREEN CAPTURE]

KBS focused heavily on cutting-edge tech as well, using generative AI and immersive media art in combination with augmented reality, which overlays digital visuals onto the real world. The national broadcaster presented an AI-generated animation-style countdown for exit polls, while its regional segments featured generative AI-produced videos.

“In the past, we used AI to overlay the candidates’ voices onto existing footage to present their campaign pledges,” said Kwon Jeong-ui from the KBS communication team. “But this time, we tried something new — generating entirely original videos from scratch.”

MBC also incorporated generative AI for its exit poll countdown, with a split screen featuring a generative AI-created depiction of the independence movement during the Japanese colonial period on one side, and a series of connected scenes from modern Korean society on the other.

CGI graphics from JTBC's presidential election vote count coverage, featuring a capybara generated by AI [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Cable channel JTBC, an affiliate of the Korea JoongAng Daily, went for cute this year, introducing an animated capybara — an animal known for its endearing ability to get along with all species. The capybara, too, was created using AI.

And from this, it’s clear that AI is no longer just a novelty — it’s now a core part of how broadcasters approach election coverage.

“Since AI is such a major trend right now, there seems to be a strong tendency to integrate it among broadcasters,” Kwon said.

The media art sphere combines augmented reality during KBS's presidential election vote count coverage. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Mixed reactions

The use of CGI dates all the way back to the mid-1990s, but it truly took off in the early 2000s, when the rise of the internet shifted broadcasters' focus from speed to visual impact. This transition sparked what’s often referred to as the CG War, leading broadcasters to race to captivate viewers with eye-catching computer graphics. The trend gained momentum throughout the 2010s and has since become a staple of Korean election coverage broadcasts, with each giving their own unique twist to the visuals.

“Viewers can easily lose interest if they keep seeing the same screen over and over, so broadcasters use CG to add variety and engaging information that keeps their attention,” Ji said.

Among the contenders this year, MBC emerged as the standout winner in terms of viewership, being the only broadcaster to surpass the 10 percent viewership mark to reach 14.5 percent, followed by KBS with 5.2 percent, SBS with 3.7 percent and JTBC at 1.6 percent, according to Nielsen Korea.

A scene from MBC's exit poll countdown video made by AI [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Korean election graphics have become a global spectacle, with overseas media outlets covering the phenomenon and even international viewers — who can’t vote — expressing excitement. Social media was filled with posts sharing clips and screenshots from the broadcasts, with comments like, “I can’t vote, but I always look forward to these graphics,” and “I literally can’t take my eyes off this.”

One particular graphic that caught the attention both domestically and internationally was MBC’s exit poll countdown video, which featured a powerful sequence transitioning from independence leader Kim Gu’s historic speech to BTS’s RM speaking at the United Nations. The segment earned praise online, with many viewers saying they were deeply moved.

CGI graphics from SBS's presidential election vote count coverage [SCREEN CAPTURE]

However, not all feedback was positive. Some viewers criticized the heavy use of flashy, entertainment-focused CGI, calling it inappropriate given the serious context of the election, saying, “This kind of lighthearted, joke-style election coverage feels inappropriate for the occasion.”

Despite the mixed reactions, the enthusiasm for Korea’s uniquely entertaining election broadcasts shows no signs of fading. With local elections scheduled for next year, viewers are once again approaching a moment where they’ll encounter fresh, creative visuals from broadcasters. What new and eye-catching graphics will they bring to the screen next? That remains something to look forward to.

BY KIM JI-YE [[email protected]]