Link to article: https://apnews.com/article/south-korea-election-opposition-lee-jae-myung-1d343c373435fcf135e77ba54b616805
Following the impeachment of the previous President, Yoon Suk Yeol, South Korea is now set to hold a presidential election in early June. The election will be between two candidates, nominated at the end of April: Lee Jae-myung for the Democratic party and Kim Moon Soo for the conservative People’s Power Party. As of now, Lee Jae-myung is expected to win the election, as the ousted president came from the People’s Power Party. This is because the conservative party is facing greater obstacles to winning the election than the Democratic party — the party had to rush to find and promote a new party leader that will be able to repair their tarnished reputation.
On paper, this situation seems to be a win for South Korean democracy — the actions of the former president were a “stress test” for democracy that the country seemingly passed. However, this election could see the exacerbation of tensions in South Korean politics, which have been dominated by polarization and getting “revenge” on previous administrations. Lee Jae-myung’s politics have been accused of being populist and likely to divide the country further. On the other hand, Lee Jae-myung has stated that his goals are to unify the country and revive the economy.
It’s clear that Lee Jae-myung is likely to win the upcoming election, but we don’t know what exactly his presidency will look like until he is elected. His decisions, however, will determine whether South Korea approaches a period of relative unity or if rising polarization will continue to undermine the country’s prosperity. He will have a pivotal role in shaping South Korea’s relations with the U.S., Japan, North Korea, and other east Asian countries. Two of his stated goals are to thaw relations with North Korea and establish a security partnership with Japan and the United States, but only time will tell if these goals will be accomplished and if their accomplishment will prove beneficial for South Korea.
This situation shows how political culture, particularly the belief in the rule of law and other democratic principles, shapes a country’s government and, by proxy, its role in the international community. In impeaching and ousting Yoon Suk Yool, South Korea’s people demonstrated a commitment to the idea that even public officials are not above the rule of law which, in turn, influences who they elect and how politicians are expected to behave — which influences how politicians act in both domestic and foreign policy, which then affects the international community as a whole. I fear I’ve gone too AP Comparative Government with this part but it is what it is.