By Hyun Lee, published in Zoom In Korea, May 8, 2017
War threats before a major political election may have been effective in the past in swinging the South Korean electorate to the right, but not this year. The conservative camp is battered and split into two warring parties following the impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye. The general public—its collective consciousness heightened through the mass protests that successfully ousted Park—is no longer rallying behind hawkish candidates who fan public paranoia to garner votes.
Barring a last-minute upset, liberal democrat Moon Jae-in will be the next president of South Korea. But does he truly represent the interests of the millions who took to the streets to unseat Park and demand systemic change? And what are the tasks facing the left vis-á-vis the new administration? These are the questions this article will discuss, but first, let’s quickly review the field of candidates…
Read the full article at the original weblink above. Read a news compilation on New Cold War.org on the outcome of the May 9, 2017 presidential election in South Korea here.
Interview with Hyun Lee of ‘Solidarity Committee for Democracy and Peace in Korea’ (New York):
Interview by Talk Radio host David Swanson on May 9, 2017 (30 minutes). Hyun Lee is a member of the Solidarity Committee for Democracy and Peace in Korea in New York City and a fellow of the Korea Policy Institute. Her work is published on Zoom In Korea. David Swanson publishes the websites ‘Let’s Try Democracy’ at www.davidswanson.org and World Beyond War.
Related readings (reposted on ‘Zoom In Korea’):
Missile defense and the security dilemma: THAAD, Japan’s ‘proactive peace’, and the arms race in northeast Asia, by JJ Suh, published in Asia-Pacific Journal, April 27, 2017 Volume 15, Issue 9, Number 5
Abstract: The U.S. deployed a missile defense system, Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) in South Korea in April 2017, citing North Korea’s nuclear and missile “threats” as justification. Its deployment, however, needs to be seen in the wider strategic context. Not only does the measure raise the arms race with North Korea, it also facilitates Japan’s “proactive contribution to peace” and exacerbates the security dilemma between the U.S. and its allies on one side and China and Russia on the other.
The United States should listen to South Korea, or it will reap the whirlwind, by Tim Shorrock, The Nation, May 5, 2017
Gwangju, South Korea—On May 2, Moon Jae-in, the Korean politician who is expected to win next Tuesday’s presidential election here, issued a stern warning to the United States. Pointing to the escalating tensions between North Korea and the United States, he told The Washington Post that South Korea must “take the lead on matters on the Korean Peninsula.” Seoul, he added, “should not take the back seat.”
