Category: Politics-Korea

Is this a sign that the Korean people are tiring of Moon Jae-in and the ruling Democratic Party:

Two leading opposition candidates for next month’s Seoul mayoral by-election are double digits ahead of their ruling party rival should they unify candidacy and run in a two-way race, a survey showed Sunday.

Conducted by three pollsters, Ipsos, Korea Research and Hankook Research, the survey found that Oh Se-hoon of the main opposition People Power Party garnered 47 percent with Park Young-sun of the ruling Democratic Party winning 30.4 percent in a hypothetical two-way race.

Ahn Cheol-soo of the People’s Party got 45.9 percent versus the ruling party candidate’s 29.9 percent in a two-way contest, according to the survey commissioned by three broadcasters, SBS, KBS and MBC.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

This is how politics work, you accuse your rival of something they did not say and let the media repeat it:

A Seoul mayoral candidate’s recent remarks related to the issue of rights of the LGBTQ community have rekindled debates on the matter in political circles. 

Conservative minor opposition People’s Party leader Ahn Cheol-soo, who is running in the April 7 by-election for Seoul mayor, brought about the controversy after saying that the rights of those who oppose an annual parade held in central Seoul by LGBTQ community members should also be respected, during a televised debate with his rival candidate and former ruling party lawmaker Keum Tae-sup, last Thursday.

LGBTQ community members here and activists supporting them have been staging the Seoul Queer Culture Festival every year since 2000 in central Seoul to call for rights for the community. Since 2015, the parade has set off from the main festival site at Seoul Plaza in front of City Hall, with the city government under former Mayor Park Won-soon granting permission despite a continuous strong backlash from some conservative Christian groups who claimed Park encouraged homosexuality.

During the debate, Keum introduced the issue to the discussion, saying it would be a “small but significant change” if a third-party candidate took part in the pride march in Seoul. Keum then asked Ahn if he would be willing to participate if elected as the mayor of the capital.

Ahn replied, “Of course I oppose discrimination. Individual human rights deserve to be respected.” But then Ahn continued to say, “If an LGBTQ festival is held in Gwanghwamun (in central Seoul), there will be some people who want to come to watch it, but the rights of others who are against it should also be respected.”

Keum criticized Ahn’s remarks in a radio interview with local broadcaster KBS the following day, saying he was disappointed as they lacked consideration for the basic human rights of the LGBTQ community. “Ahn’s advocating for the rights of those who do not want to see a queer festival is no different from hate and discrimination,” Keum said.

Korea Times

I am no fan of Ahn Cheol-soo, but it is pretty clear that he was not hating on LGBTQ groups. All he is saying is that the conservative Christian groups have a right to free speech to criticize the parade. He didn’t agree with this position he just said they had the right to express it.

Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon is backing down from his idea to pardon former Presidents Park and Lee because of the Korean left is unhappy with the idea:

However, Rep. Lee’s comments, which weren’t consulted on with party colleagues beforehand, have prompted ricocheting reactions throughout politics, stoking fierce objection from the DP’s base supporters, as well as suspicious reactions from opposition parties, raising questions of motive and rationale in light of the DP chief’s falling approval ratings. 

Amid the political fallout from the pardon suggestion spiraling out of hand, the DP leadership came up with what many see as a dubious cop out position on the matter — stating that Lee’s remarks came from his “heart” free from political rationale and that the showing of sincere remorse by the ex-presidents is a prerequisite in potential pardons.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link, but I doubt either ex-President is about to admit guilt to get a pardon. According to the article the ruling party is apparently throwing out this pardon suggestion as a trial balloon to judge public sentiment. If it is something popular with the public then President Moon Jae-in may move forward with the idea.

Its official President Park will not get out of prison until 2039, though I doubt she will stay imprisoned that long. I bet she will receive a pardon well before then:

The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a 20-year sentence for former President Park Geun-hye in a high-profile corruption case, closing the yearslong saga that gripped the country and ultimately removed her from office in 2017.

In the sentencing hearing over an appeal filed by prosecutors against a ruling in July that reduced Park’s prison term, the country’s highest court maintained the ruling, including a fine of 18 billion won (US$15 million) and the decision to clear Park of extortion and part of abuse of power charges.

Park will have to serve 22 years in prison, which includes a two-year prison term for her 2018 conviction for illegal meddling in a nomination process of the then-ruling Saenuri Party. Given the time that she already served, she will get released in 2039.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

It looks like the DPK is testing the waters to implement some of their socialist ideas:

Debates are rising over ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) chief Lee Nak-yon’s proposal for a profit-sharing scheme aimed at encouraging profitable companies to distribute their earnings to those hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Although the ruling side is stressing that it will not twist anyone’s arm and will instead offer various incentives, such as corporate tax breaks, to those voluntarily adopting the scheme, the opposition is critical of the idea, claiming that it goes against market economy principles. Plus, business owners are also skeptical of the proposal, saying there are no clear criteria on which companies are profitable. 

There is speculation that tech companies such as Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics, the nation’s top mobile messenger operator Kakao Corp., and Woowa Brothers, the operator of delivery app Baedal Minjok, would be subject to the scheme, as the companies have seen their sales grow amid the prolonged pandemic.

“In Europe, those who are prosperous in the pandemic are called economic winners from the COVID-19 crisis and are required to fulfill their social responsibility,” Lee said during Monday’s party meeting. 

“Now we need to discuss various ways for profit-making companies to help those plagued by the coronavirus.”

Korea Times

You can read more at the link, but I thought that was the job of the government to help those struggling because of the coronavirus? Additionally if a company is profitable during the pandemic it is likely the vast majority of their employees are working. If business owners want to give out increased bonuses because of the pandemic that should be their own decision.

The government should be helping the small businesses that are shutdown or at reduced operations because of the pandemic. If they need more funds to do that then that is what the power to tax is for. It just seems like the DPK just doesn’t want to make a case for raising taxes and instead pressure these companies to give up their profits instead.

Another week and another record low for President Moon’s approval rate:

 President Moon Jae-in’s approval rating has reached an all-time low, while public disapproval of his performance also has hit its highest point, a poll showed Sunday.

In a Realmeter survey of 1,000 people aged 18 and over, conducted over Friday and Saturday, 34.1 percent of respondents supported Moon.

It’s the lowest approval rating since Moon took office in May 2017. The figure in the previous Realmeter poll released last Monday was 36.7 percent.

In the latest survey, 61.7 percent of respondents gave a negative assessment of Moon’s presidency, up from 59.7 percent from last week.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

It looks like the ruling party realizes that the end of the Moon administration is nearing which means the potential of the conservatives winning the next election. If that was to happen no doubt the conservatives would look to start locking up their liberal political adversaries just like the Moon administration has done to them:

Ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) Chairman Lee Nak-yon is seeking to propose pardons for former presidents Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye, who have been behind bars on corruption charges, to President Moon Jae-in.

“I will propose pardons for the two former presidents to President Moon Jae-in at an appropriate time,” Lee said during a New Year interview with local news agency Yonhap. Lee said the pardons of the two former presidents could be a way to promote reconciliation and overcome the ideological gap between conservatives and liberals.

“This year is the de facto final year for President Moon to practice policies, and this matter (of pardoning the two former presidents) needs to be solved at a right time,” Lee said. “I am seeking to propose it (to President Moon) apart from pros and cons from the supporters of the ruling bloc. … The party will have to play a more active role from now on.”

As former President Lee was sentenced to 17 years by the Supreme Court last October while Park is still on trial, a special pardon and suspension of sentence will be sought for each case, if President Moon pardons the two former presidents.

Korea Times

Something that is important to remember is that this is about more than just Presidents Park and Lee being locked up, there has been numerous journalists and conservative commentators prosecuted and locked up as well for speaking out against the Moon administration.

As expected Choo Mi-ae was made the scapegoat for the Prosecutor General fiasco even though she was likely taking all commands from the Blue House:

President Moon Jae-in accepted Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae’s previously offered resignation, Wednesday, following a recent court decision that granted an injunction to Prosecutor-General Yoon Seok-youl against a ministry disciplinary committee’s order suspending him from duty for two months. 

Moon’s decision to replace the justice minister comes after months of calls from the public and opposition to dismiss the former five-term lawmaker of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) who have been weary of the longstanding conflict between her and the top prosecutor. The Choo-Yoon conflict and political wrangling over the President’s push for prosecutorial reform have emerged as key factors that have significantly hurt public trust in the Moon administration. 

The presidential office announced a replacement for Choo, in addition to two other ministerial posts, in a briefing the same day. The President named DPK Rep. Park Beom-kye, a former judge, to replace Choo, who will continue to serve in the post until the confirmation hearing for Park. 

Korea Times

You can read more at the link, but Choo was a good soldier for the Korean left so I am sure they will take care her even though they had to scapegoat her for failing to get Yoon Seok-youl removed.

More bad news for President Moon:

President Moon Jae-in’s approval rating has tied its all-time low, while public disapproval of his job performance has surged to the highest point so far, a poll showed Monday.

In the four-day Realmeter survey conducted on 2,008 people, aged 18 or older, nationwide till last Thursday, 36.7 percent of respondents supported the president, down 2.8 percentage points from the previous week.

Moon’s rating had fallen to 36.7 percent, the lowest since he took office in May 2017, in the second week of December and bounced back to 39.5 percent the following week in Realmeter’s tracking polls.

The proportion of those who gave a negative assessment of Moon’s presidency rose 2 percentage points to a record high of 59.7 percent.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.