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Ex-prosecutor Yoon elected South Korean president

24 Comments
By HYUNG-JIN KIM and KIM TONG-HYUNG

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 a glum Lee said. “I congratulate candidate Yoon Suk Yeol. I sincerely ask the president-elect to overcome division and conflicts and open a new era of unity and harmony.”

Democracy Korean style appears to have prevailed. How nice to see the man who got fewer votes be gracious in defeat. Hopefully the new Korean leader and his party will live up to their campaign promises and do what they can to help Korean people of all classes, not just the Chaebol. May Mr. Lee and his party members work closely with the new government to help ensure all Korean people are treated fairly and are able to thrive. Hopefully all foreign powers will leave South Koreans alone and let them chart their own course and continue rebuilding their nation on their own terms without too much outside interference.

0 ( +9 / -9 )

Yoon Suk Yeol, a conservative former top prosecutor and foreign policy neophyte

And someone with a well known history of abusive practices who will probably face prosecution in the near future.

Remind you of anyone?

Unfortunate that a progressive lost and shows what some makeup and media saavy in the absence of all else can do in the "democratic" political game.

7 ( +12 / -5 )

PTownsend

korea and Japan will never be free from foreign influences. Do you think we have military there just for fun? We use these countries in case we need to invade the Chinese mainland.

-11 ( +6 / -17 )

I hope he does well and keeps peace in the region. My nephew will be stationed there soon.

4 ( +7 / -3 )

congratulations

Democracy Korean style appears to have prevailed. How nice to see the man who got fewer votes be gracious in defeat. Hopefully the new Korean leader and his party will live up to their campaign promises and do what they can to help Korean people of all classes, not just the Chaebol.

Well said PT

-11 ( +3 / -14 )

Democracy Korean style appears to have prevailed. How nice to see the man who got fewer votes be gracious in defeat.

From a previous article:

And the stakes? There's widespread speculation that the loser will be arrested.

...

"Isn't our national future too bleak with an unpleasant and bitter presidential election that calls for choosing the lesser of two evils?"

...

There have also been attacks on the candidates' wives, both of whom have been forced to apologize over separate scandals.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Scott

This Yoon guy seems absolutely based. 4chan is praising him.

-12 ( +1 / -13 )

He mentioned regional security cooperation with Tokyo but nothing else about improving the relationship with Japan and other long standing issues.

Nonetheless congratulations.

Let's see how "properly" you can lead and what kind of a difference can be made in only a 5 yr term

2 ( +4 / -2 )

I'm afraid it's just going to be the Moon administration 2.0.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

A rightist. divisive blowhard,

Just what the world needs,,,,

9 ( +12 / -3 )

The defeat of candidate Lee Jae-Myung may deprive many bald voters of hope...

South Korean Presidential Candidate Gets Bald Vote By Touting Hair-Loss Treatment Coverage

https://www.newsweek.com/south-korean-presidential-candidate-gets-bald-vote-touting-hair-loss-treatment-coverage-1666555

4 ( +6 / -2 )

Following standard Korean practice, I wonder now how many years of prison term leaving president Lee will get?

5 ( +8 / -3 )

Following standard Korean practice, I wonder now how many years of prison term leaving president Moon will get?

4 ( +7 / -3 )

I think that most people in Japan, including the Japanese government, couldn't care less who won the Korean presidential election. They will still hear the same noises only from a different voice.

5 ( +9 / -4 )

Lee supporters still had 47% of the votes. Meaning his party has more than 15 millions of supporters. Yoon is gonna have a very tough time making any changes if you ask me. The problem with these kind of close win is that there is always half the public who would resist any policy you try to make and watch you like a hawk hoping to drag you into the water. I don't envy the next 5 year of what he will be facing. Especially with all the recent problems the world is facing.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

I dont know, lots of Korean were saying it was choosing between plague and cholera ....

12 ( +13 / -1 )

Five more years of gridlock in the ROK government. What worries me are the number of anti-feminists who now apparently have a champion in the Blue House. South Korea's demographics are already unsustainable and I suspect this will only get worse now as males feel emboldened to put women down.

6 ( +8 / -2 )

Yoon elected president, a win expected to herald Seoul’s drive to seek a stronger alliance with US & take a tougher line on N Korea:

Could that be what Seoul wants? Some would have thought S Korea should distance itself more from US & be friendlier with the North.

Anyway, wait..

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

A president who wants to do away with minimum wage, thinks there's no gender discrimination (who needs facts and studies when you have "traditional" privileges and roles, right?) and is "hard-line" on their nuclear-weapon equipped neighbour. Are choices in all countries of the world so bad that guys like him are deemed "the lesser of two evils"?

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Don't read too much into it. Moon sealed Lee's fate with his opposition to crackdown on corruption by Yoon. SK people hates corruption and cronyism, Yoon had a lucky run and pressed the right button.

Yes, Moon was Yoon's boss, and he tried to thwart a prosecution of a chaebol, he should have done it after the election, he costed Lee the election.

As for progressive Lee, he's like other progressive elite liberals around the world, utterly compromised by global corporate giants.

So until the next election, SK can expect a lot of rockets from the north. At least that'll give Japan a break.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

@ Harry

Oh they care much more than you realize !

Hence all the squabbling !

That's what happens when you think you know what the majority of Japan and the Japanese government wants.

It's not possible to know what everyone wants unless your omnipresent .

Are you omnipresent Harry ?

Obviously not !

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Are choices in all countries of the world so bad that guys like him are deemed "the lesser of two evils"?

it seems like the ethical compromises people who aspire to high public office are forced to submit to by powerful outside forces to gain the political support necessary to win elections drives away those who are good of heart leaving only scoundrels and the power hungry willing to run for office. It doesn't seem to be a problem confined to South Korea either. Add to that the seeming tradition of South Korean politics to throw former Presidents in jail after their term of office that probably deters many otherwise good candidates.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

That's all the world needs right now - another provocative nutcase hoping for a fight.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

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