Park Geun-hye
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S Korea’s Politics of Betrayal and the Mirage of Conservative Unity
Busan — Ten days before South Korea’s presidential election, candidates Yoo Seong-min and Hong Joon-pyo were both campaigning in Busan, scrounging for any available votes in the traditional conservative bastion. They did the typical rounds in marketplaces and bustling downtown areas, trying to appeal to the voters that South
Woo Byung-woo: One Who Must Not Be Forgotten
Some of the most powerful figures in South Korean society were arrested as a result of Park Geun-hye’s corruption scandal: Lee Jae-yong, the de facto chief of Samsung, former ministers of culture and health, former Blue House aides who yielded significant power, and of course, former president Park Geun-hye
The Potent Force of S Korea's Regionalism
Regionalism remains a potent force in South Korea. “If the U.S. has racism, South Korea has regionalism,” said a 2008 article by wire agency Yonhap. There’s even a special word for regional rivalry: jiyeok gamjeong, which literally means “regional enmity.” The most historical and emotionally charged regional rivalry
What Happened to "Safe Korea"?
A few weeks ago, I was walking through my small town in North Jeolla Province when I saw a building under construction. Two floors up, a sign proclaimed, “There is no exception to safety, no premonition of accidents.” Five stories above that, directly in line with the sign, a worker
Reading List: Our 2017 Election Coverage
2017 is an interesting year for South Korean politics. A president has been ousted from office for the first time under the democratic constitution. The ruling conservative party is in shambles, splintered into three parties. The leading presidential candidates are mostly those that identify with the left, which means the
Saenuri Party Is Back. No, Not That Saenuri.
As if South Korea’s conservative faction isn’t fractured enough as is, it now has a third conservative presidential candidate. This reduces the right’s already-minimal chances of getting a sniff at power when the country goes to the polls on May 9. Meet pro-Park Geun-hye
Top Presidential Contenders Pledge to Fix South Korea's Air Pollution
South Korea is in the midst of the country’s first springtime election campaign since 1971. And it has brought the issue of fine particle dust to the fore, as voters are irritated by air pollution in the lead-up to the May 9 vote. At this point, the 60-day race
Park Geun-hye's Shame, Public's Vengeance
It may be human nature to seek revenge anywhere, but in South Korea the impulse is plainly on display. Former president Park Geun-hye was arrested Friday in connection with the Choi Soon-sil scandal. She is now a prisoner at Seoul Detention Center. She will soon be charged and tried. Justice,
Will Park Geun-hye Pay Her Lawyers?
Former president Park Geun-hye hired a total of 14 lawyers to defend her in the huge political scandal that led to her impeachment — and now incarceration. “How did Park Geun-hye manage her colossal legal fees? By not paying her lawyers,” broadcaster TV Chosun
Scarlett Johansson to Play Park Geun-hye in New Biopic
South Korea’s celebrity gossip network has gone into overdrive following revelations that 21st Century Fox is preparing to shoot a seven-hour biopic of former South Korean president Park Geun-hye. A high-placed Hollywood source confirmed that Scarlett Johansson is to star as Park, while soul mate Choi Soon-sil will
Pilgrimage to an Assassin's Grave
On the southeastern outskirts of Seoul is a modest cemetery where a defaced gravestone stands at the top of a steep slope. The grave has seen an unusually high number of visitors in the past few months, despite its out-of-the-way location and lack of sign posts. Bouquets of fresh
The Price of Democracy
Demonstrations calling for the ouster of then-president Park Geun-hye began in late October. Huge “candlelight rallies” continued almost every Saturday for the next 21 weeks, with fireworks, rock concerts on professionally built stages, banners and, of course, candles (both wax and LED). Portable toilets