British media cover negative stories of S. Korea’s presidential election

The British weekly Sunday Times said the upcoming presidential election in South Korea has been called “the most distasteful” in the country’s 35 years of democracy. Last week, The Washington Post called the election “marred with scandals,” and this time it has earned a new infamy from the British media, taking issue with the ethics of the candidates and their families.

“From K-Pop to the Oscars to Squid Game, South Korean cultural exports have taken the world by storm in recent years,” said Tha Sunday Times. “But in Seoul itself there is one new show that is dividing affections as much as any boy band, and exposing the seedy side of life among the city’s elite more vividly evan than Parasite - the 2020 presidential election.” The weekly paper also described that the candidates’ wives have been “dragged into Korea’s election of unlikeables.”

Citing some of the latest controversies surrounding Kim Hye-gyeong, the wife of ruling Minjoo Party candidate Lee Jae-myung, on her misuse of corporate cards, as well as the remarks of Kim Geon-hee, the wife of opposition party candidate Yoon Suk-yeol, who said she will send journalists to jail. The Sunday Times reported, “Not only the candidates themselves but their wives have also apologized over the recent controversies.” It added the election has been consumed by corruption, shamanism, and the threats and lies against journalists, instead of the debate on the important issues at home and abroad.


Eun-Taek Lee nabi@donga.com