Is South Korea's firebrand president up to the job?
Much akin to Britain on 4 July last year, South Korea is now veering leftwards. Seoul only had a protracted two-and-a-half, and not fourteen, years of conservative rule by a leader who declared martial law on a cold winter evening last December. But at a time when security in East Asia is increasingly precarious, the election of Lee Jae-myung as South Korea's fourteenth president does not bode well for the future if the firebrand's past statements are anything to go by.
For a man who had ambitions to be as 'successful as Bernie Sanders' – a comparison which is hardly a point of pride – it was third time lucky. His failed presidential bids in 2017 and 2022 are now confined to the history books. The South Korean population voted for change after six months of polarising protests in support of and against Lee's infamous predecessor, Yoon Suk Yeol. These were triggered by his abortive declaration of martial law on 3 December.
This election was overshadowed by that December day, without which there would have been no vote.
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Bernie Sanders and RFK Jr. find rare common ground over pharmaceutical ads on TV: ‘Sick and tired'
Wegovy, Farxiga, Vraylar ... the stream of drug ads on TV has gotten so pervasive that they're bringing together an unlikely pair of politicians to take them on. Independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who caucuses with Democrats, is backing an effort pushed by Trump Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to ban pharmaceutical ads on TV. Sanders introduced the End Prescription Drug Ads Now Act alongside fellow independent Senator Angus King of Maine. They both caucus with the Democrats. If passed, the legislation would ban prescription drug ads from TV, radio, print, digital platforms, and social media. Those critical of the ads argue that they push the price of healthcare even higher, even as they don't help to improve the care patients receive. Supporters of the ads say that they can increase patients' understanding of the care available. However, most wealthy nations, apart from the U.S. and New Zealand, ban pharmaceutical ads, Newsweek noted. Kennedy has yet to comment on the legislation, which Sanders and King revealed on Thursday. They noted that the pharmaceutical industry spent more than $5 billion on TV ads last year, adding that many of the drugs advertised cost more in the U.S. than they do in countries where pharmaceutical ads are banned. "The American people are sick and tired of greedy pharmaceutical companies spending billions of dollars on absurd TV commercials pushing their outrageously expensive prescription drugs," said Sanders, calling the U.S. policy of allowing such ads an "international embarrassment." Anna Bahr, Sanders' director of communications, told Newsweek that the senator's office has contacted Republicans about joining the bill. She noted that the pharmaceutical and health insurance industries have lobbied to prevent the banning of such ads. Bahr told Newsweek: "Over the past 25 years, the drug companies have spent $8.5 billion on lobbying. Today, they have some 1,800 well-paid lobbyists in Washington, D.C. – including former leaders of the Republican and Democratic parties.' "Unbelievably, that is more than three lobbyists for every member of Congress. During that same period, they have provided over $700 million in campaign contributions. And they are equal opportunity contributors. They contribute heavily to both Republican and Democratic candidates,' she added. Kennedy and Elon Musk have both openly backed the idea of banning pharmaceutical ads. "Let's get President Trump back in the White House and me to DC so we can ban pharmaceutical advertising," he wrote on X on November 3 last year. As he campaigned for president, Kennedy said he would sign an executive order on his first day in office banning pharmaceutical ads. Also in November 2024, Musk wrote on X: "No advertising for pharma." "The widespread use of direct-to-consumer advertising by pharmaceutical companies drives up costs and doesn't necessarily make patients healthier,' King said in a statement. 'The End Prescription Drug Ads Now Act would prohibit direct-to-consumer advertising of pharmaceutical drugs to protect people. This bill is a great step to ensure that patients are getting the best information possible and from the right source: their providers and not biased advertisements." Several Democratic senators have signed on to co-sponsor the legislation, including Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy, Vermont Sen. Peter Welch, Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley, and Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, Sanders' office has stated.
Spectator
a day ago
- Spectator
Is South Korea's firebrand president up to the job?
Much akin to Britain on 4 July last year, South Korea is now veering leftwards. Seoul only had a protracted two-and-a-half, and not fourteen, years of conservative rule by a leader who declared martial law on a cold winter evening last December. But at a time when security in East Asia is increasingly precarious, the election of Lee Jae-myung as South Korea's fourteenth president does not bode well for the future if the firebrand's past statements are anything to go by. For a man who had ambitions to be as 'successful as Bernie Sanders' – a comparison which is hardly a point of pride – it was third time lucky. His failed presidential bids in 2017 and 2022 are now confined to the history books. The South Korean population voted for change after six months of polarising protests in support of and against Lee's infamous predecessor, Yoon Suk Yeol. These were triggered by his abortive declaration of martial law on 3 December. This election was overshadowed by that December day, without which there would have been no vote.
NBC News
2 days ago
- NBC News
North Korea appears to follow the South in suspending loudspeaker broadcasts
SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea appears to have stopped loudspeakers near the border targeting South Korea, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said Thursday. The JCS said that North Korean loudspeaker broadcasts were not heard on Thursday, and the South Korean military was monitoring Pyongyang's activities. Seoul suspended its own loudspeaker broadcasts near the border targeting North Korea on Wednesday, after having resumed propaganda and K-pop blasts last year during a time of growing tension with its neighbor. South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, who took office this month vowing to resume dialogue with the North, ordered the move to ease tension, reduce military confrontation and build trust, his spokesperson said, as North Korea has refrained from provocations lately. Those living near the heavily fortified border have opposed the loudspeaker broadcasts, which they blame for severe noise nuisance. Seoul's resumption last July of a round-the-clock campaign of loudspeaker broadcasts was in response to Pyongyang's launch of balloons carrying trash over the border, the South's military said at the time. Pyongyang had said the balloons were retaliation for a propaganda campaign by North Korean defectors and activists in the South who regularly send inflatables with anti-Pyongyang leaflets and other items across the border.
