Korea's Presidential Election - Part Ii: Moon Jae-In
Monday, 30 April 2018
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Part II of this series will discuss Moon Jae-in, candidate from the Democratic United Party.
Moon Jae-in (Democratic United Party)
Moon Jae-in (Democratic United Party)
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| Moon Jae-in [문재인] (When Roh committed suicide in 2009, Moon directed Roh's funeral, and later chaired the Roh Moo-hyun memorial foundation. In 2011, Moon published a very well-received autobiography, Moon Jae-in's Destiny [문재인의 운명]. Finally, in April 2012, Moon officially entered into popular politics by winning a National Assembly seat. Despite being a relative newcomer, Moon swept the DUP's presidential primaries, muscling aside the grizzled veterans of progressive electoral veterans. As evident from Moon's biography, Moon's political identity is inseparable from Roh Moo-hyun. And as with his rival Park Geun-hye, this association both benefits and damages Moon's candidacy because, as with Park Chung-hee, Roh Moo-hyun was a polarizing figure. If one measured Korea's presidents only by the capacity to cause polarizing reactions, Roh's presidency is right up there with Park Chung-hee's dictatorship. With his charisma and speech-making abilities, Roh inspired a passionate group of supporters who eventually made him president. (Roh Moo-hyun was likely the first Korean politician to have a self-generated fan club.) Yet through his rash and divisive governing style that demonized his opponents, Roh created an equal number of opponents who passionately revile him. Roh is almost certainly the most hated president among the Korea's right-leaning voters. Even among many left-leaning voters, Roh is not fondly regarded because of his political tactics that excluded a broader spectrum of Korea's left in favor of dedicated followers, somewhat like the way in which the smaller Tea Party managed to set the direction for the U.S. Republican Party. This is the political landscape that Moon Jae-in is facing: passionate opposition from conservatives who see him as Roh Moo-hyun's heir, and mostly lukewarm support from his progressive base. This is the greatest reason why Ahn Cheol-soo -- the subject of the next part -- has been able to create such a sensation. Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com. Sumber http://askakorean.blogspot.com |