Politics
From progressives to conservatives, everything about South Korean politics
Religion and Politics in South Korea: Very Comfortable Bedfellows
It is 1975. An assembly of people are gathered together, standing in front of their purported leader. The group is fervently shaking their hands and praying. A girl, her eyes closed and seemingly on the verge of tears, is mouthing something. It’s a fleeting but powerful image. The leader
"Step Down, Park": Anti-Government Protestors Occupy Downtown Seoul
Masses of South Korean protesters took to downtown Seoul Saturday for a candlelight vigil and a march, demanding that President Park Geun-hye step down – with no barricades nor scuffle, in what has been praised as a surprisingly peaceful demonstration. Police estimated the size of the crowd at 45,000. The
Choi Soon-sil Gate Parodies: Let the Fun Times Roll
There’s a lot of rage, disappointment, and feelings of betrayal over president Park Geun-hye’s alleged relationship with Choi Soon-sil. We say ‘alleged’, because much remains to be credibly confirmed in this dramatic, unfolding saga. (For an in-depth discussion of the Choi Soon-sil scandal, check
The Choi Soon-sil Gate: The Saddest Political Drama Ever Told
I am quite fond of South Korean costume dramas, though my friends are skeptical of the genre’s value. Plotting royals and devious courtiers aren’t their thing, and they are even less enamored with the endless power struggles over who gets to be master of the realm. “But it’
Tanks of Destruction: Private Think Tanks Are Ruining Policy-Making in South Korea
Yesterday was the opening of the Maekyung Media Group’s World Knowledge Forum (WKF) at the luxurious Shilla Hotel. This event is intended to raise South Korea’s profile in the world of policy and economics. Three of the featured speakers are none other than David Rubenstein (co-founder of one
The "Comfort Women Deal" between South Korea and Japan: Six Alternative Views
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Northern Limit Line: Taking Politics Out of a Political Conflict
Source: Next Entertainment World (NEW) Dramatic music swells up as the camera zooms in on a dying South Korean soldier, a plump and friendly character who wins immediate sympathy because he’s the loving father of an adorable baby. His head droops to the side in a moment of finality;
The Failure of Women Cross DMZ
30 women from 15 countries crossed the DMZ dividing the two Koreas on 24 May 2015, under the banner of Women Cross DMZ. For months leading up to the crossing, I was excited by the promise of something grand. However, like many others, I was disappointed by the tepid conclusion.
Park Geun-hye's Presidency Is Adrift
The Korean version of this essay can be found here. Embed from Getty Imageswindow.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'By5htD2XTEVQ74947taqxg',sig:'B6i1ljR8hTbDQ62tiEYzabkgfCQbMzPsiDyxHZVCaHg=',w:'594px',h:'388px',items:'450148594',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })}); Park Geun-Hye has
When the Elite Don't Care
K.R.K. for Korea Exposé If Park Geun-hye chooses you for prime minister, beware because your political career is in peril. That is the joke in South Korean cyberspace where the biggest topic is the nomination of Lee Wan-koo, former floor leader of the ruling Saenuri Party, as
Chaebol Nutcase: Welcome to a Feudal Aristocracy of the Orient
Once upon a time, in a faraway land called South Korea, Heather was working at her father’s airline company as a high-powered executive. One winter’s day, Heather went on a trip to America, where a flight attendant on her company-owned jet offered her a bag of macadamia nuts
The Republic of Korea: No Democracy as We Know
The Constitutional Court of Korea made history on Friday by ordering the dissolution of a political party for the first time since the court’s establishment in 1988. It was also the first time a political party was disbanded in South Korea since 1958. The entity in question was