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Japan Forward
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Japan Forward
South Korea's Choice of Next Leader Crucial to National Security
このページを 日本語 で読む In South Korea, on June 3, voters will select a successor to impeached former President Yoon Suk-yeol. With less than a month to go, South Korea's main candidates in the presidential election have now been selected. Their campaigns will necessarily focus on how to end the domestic political turmoil. However, South Korea's foreign and defense policies also impact the peace and stability in Northeast Asia, including Japan. Hopefully, there will be a serious debate on issues related to national security. Kim Moon-soo, former Minister of Employment and Labor, was chosen as the ruling People's Power Party candidate on May 3. However, former Prime Minister Han Duk-soo, a conservative who served as acting president, also announced his candidacy as an independent. Former progressive Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung, however, has been leading in the polls. His party is the largest of the opposition parties. Interest will now be focused on whether conservatives can unite around a single candidate to challenge Lee. Lee also has problems. On May 1, the Supreme Court of South Korea overturned a March Seoul High Court verdict that had acquitted Lee of charges of violating the Public Offices Election Law. Some observers believe that the Supreme Court ruling, which suggested Lee may be guilty, may cause moderate voters to turn away from him. South Korean opposition leader Lee Jae-Myung (©Sankei) Clearly, South Korea's domestic politics are in flux. However, it is important to note that the security environment surrounding the country has also been seriously deteriorating. In 2024, Russia and North Korea signed a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty. North Korea's dispatch of troops to aid Russia in its invasion of Ukraine has been justified, based on that treaty. It stipulates that each side will provide the other with military assistance in the event of a contingency. That increases the likelihood that Russia may join the conflict in the event of an emergency on the Korean Peninsula. It is possible that North Korea could attack South Korea at the same time that China invades Taiwan. This has also been pointed out. In the past, Lee has made statements like, "Whatever happens in the Taiwan Strait has nothing to do with us." He has also said, "South Korea should not get involved in a Taiwan emergency." However, to deter a Chinese invasion of Taiwan, cooperation among Japan, the United States, South Korea, and Taiwan is desirable. Furthermore, Lee has made other provocative statements like "Japan is a military adversary" and the "US should withdraw [from the Korean Peninsula]." We recall with concern such past comments by Lee. They were not only anti-Japanese but also ignored the severe security environment in Northeast Asia. The parties that would delight most in a weakened Japan-South Korea and Japan-US-South Korea solidarity are none other than the autocratic nations of China, North Korea, and Russia. Both Kim and Han are trying hard to distance themselves from Yoon, but it would be undesirable for all of Yoon's policies to be rejected. The security cooperation with Japan and the United States that Yoon promoted is unrelated to his martial law declaration fiasco. Hopefully, the candidates will forthrightly attest to the importance of Japan-US-Korea cooperation.. Author: Editorial Board, The Sankei Shimbun このページを 日本語 で読む
Straits Times
04-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
Taiwanese singer Chao Chuan received news of mother's death right before heading onstage
Taiwanese singer Chao Chuan said on Facebook that he got news of his mother's death prior to a performance in Pingtung, Taiwan on May 2. PHOTO: CHAO CHUAN/FACEBOOK Taiwanese singer Chao Chuan said he recently lost his 100-year-old mother, just a week before Mother's Day. The 63-year-old wrote on Facebook that he received news of her death on May 2, right before he was slated to perform onstage for a concert held in the Taiwanese county of Pingtung. Chao said in the post made on May 3 that he soldiered on with the performance. He wrote: 'Last night, before my Pingtung show, I got a call from my older sister who told me that my dearest mother has passed away. I calmed my emotions, went onstage to finish my set, waved goodbye to my fans, then swiftly took the train back home.' He also said in his tribute: 'My warmest, most loving mother, who always quietly supported my show-business career, thank you for loving and putting up with me. Thank you for your unconditional support. I'll keep singing, so I can be a son you're proud of. 'My mother was 100 this year, she has lived a full life and is now in heaven to accompany my father. Rest well there, I love you.' Chao's father died in November 2023, at the age of 94. In a sombre coincidence, his father died while he was on a concert tour in China. He said in a tribute post on Facebook to his father then: 'Thank you for loving me so much, for gifting me with a good voice, and for letting me do what I love. Thanks for dedicating your life to giving us a warm home.' The veteran singer is known for Mandopop classics like I'm Not Good Looking But I'm Very Gentle (1988), and the numbers The Silence Of The Lambs and How Could I Tell You That I Love You – which served as the opening and ending theme songs respectively to the first instalment of beloved Singaporean drama series The Unbeatables (1993). His most famous song is arguably A Tiny Bird (1990), which was recently spoofed by Singaporean political candidate Samuel Lee from the People's Power Party. During a press conference to introduce himself during the general election campaign, Mr Lee filled the song with English lyrics, lamenting the struggles faced by Singaporeans in securing a job. In a viral moment, he sang: 'I look left, look right, look left, look right, for a career path. Is this a request too high?' The song's original Chinese lyrics translate to: 'I search and search for a warm embrace. Is that too much to ask?' Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Malay Mail
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Singapore GE2025: Youth surge meets veteran stalwarts in most age-diverse race yet
KUALA LUMPUR, May 1 — At just 24 years old, Heng Zheng Dao is the youngest candidate in Singapore's General Election (GE2025). A horticulturist making his electoral debut under the People's Power Party (PPP) banner, Heng represents the growing presence of youth in Singapore politics. Heng will contest at the Ang Mo Kio Group Representation Constituency (GRC) with his four other teammates, opposing the PAP's incumbent, which 73-year-old Former Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong leads. In GE2020, Lee's team won 71.9 per cent of the vote (124,597 votes) against a Reform Party team. Reportedly, the largest of the 18 GRCs with 161,499 electors, Ang Mo Kio GRC will be contested by three parties for the first time since it was created in 1991. Another party is the Singapore United Party (SUP). Will Heng help draw younger voters for PPP, a party led by veteran opposition politician Goh Meng Seng, this time? This year's election sees a stronger push by parties to renew their ranks, with 44 candidates under the age of 40, up from 32 in GE2020. Candidates' ages range from 24 to 85, with a median of 48, slightly down from 49 in the previous election. At the other end of the age spectrum is 85-year-old Dr Tan Cheng Bock, chairman of the Progress Singapore Party (PSP), who is once again the oldest candidate contesting the polls. The Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) has the highest median age of 59. All of its candidates are above 40, except 27-year-old legal executive Ariffin Sha, founder of alternative news site Wake Up Singapore. In contrast, the Workers' Party (WP) and Singapore People's Party (SPP) are presenting the youngest slates, each with a median candidate age of 45. As in GE2020, WP leads in youth representation, with about one-third of its candidates under 40. The candidates' brief profile data, including age, was sourced from The Straits Times' 'GE2025: Who's standing where in Singapore's general election?' multimedia page. — Bernama
Epoch Times
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Epoch Times
600 North Korean Troops Killed in Ukraine, Says South Korean Lawmaker
North Korea has suffered 4,700 casualties, including 600 deaths, in the conflict in Ukraine, South Korea's spy agency told lawmakers at a briefing on Wednesday. The briefing came two days after North Korea South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) gave a secret briefing to a parliamentary committee, and Lee Seong Kweun, one of the lawmakers who attended the meeting, later told reporters what had been said. Lee, who represents the conservative People's Power Party, said the NIS officials said 2,000 injured soldiers had been sent back to North Korea by air or train between January and March. He said the NIS said the dead North Korean soldiers were cremated in Russia, and their remains were then transported home. 'After six months of participation in the war, the North Korean military has become less inept, and its combat capability has significantly improved as it becomes accustomed to using new weapons such as drones,' Lee said. Related Story 4/28/2025 Kim Byung-kee, another lawmaker who also attended the briefing, said the NIS also stated 15,000 North Korean laborers had been sent to Russia under bilateral industrial cooperation programs. No Sign of Payment for Missiles He said North Korea had sent billions of dollars worth of missiles and artillery to Russia, but the NIS had not detected signs of any cash transfers from Moscow to Pyongyang. But Kim, who represents the liberal Democratic Party, said the NIS believed Russia had given North Korea air defense missiles, electronic warfare equipment, drones, and technology for spy satellite launches. In January, the NIS estimated 300 North Korean soldiers had died, and another 2,700 had been injured. In December 2024, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said North Korea had suffered 'very significant' losses in the Kursk region. According to the Pentagon, 10,000 North Korean troops were initially deployed last year in the Kursk region to fight the Ukrainians. They include the Storm Corps, an elite special forces unit. In February, the NIS said North Korea had sent On April 28, the North Korean regime stated the troop deployment was ordered by leader Kim Jong Un as part of the 'comprehensive strategic partnership' he In the statement, Kim referred to the soldiers as 'heroes,' saying that their deployment demonstrated the 'firm alliance' between the two countries. The statement went on to say the North Korean soldiers 'fully demonstrated their high fighting spirit and military temperament and made an important contribution to annihilating the Ukrainian neo-Nazi forces and liberating the territory of the Russian Federation by displaying mass heroism, matchless bravery and self-sacrificing spirit.' Russia has also recently confirmed North Korean soldiers were fighting alongside its forces against the Ukrainian invasion in the Kursk region—the first such admission by the Kremlin about North Korea's involvement. Valery Gerasimov, chief of the general staff of the Russian Armed Forces, said in a North Korea has also supplied large quantities of artillery shells to Russia, helping the country maintain its regular bombardment of the Ukrainian lines, especially in the Donbas region, where the Russians are making a steady, slow advance. In November 2024, Russian Defense Minister Kremlin's Cease-Fire Offer On April 28, the Kremlin announced a three-day The Kremlin, on its Telegram channel, said, 'By order of the supreme commander-in-chief of the armed forces of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, the Russia side, guided by humanitarian motives, announces a cease-fire for the celebrations of the 80th anniversary of victory in the Great Patriotic War.' It said the truce would last from midnight Moscow time on May 8 to midnight on May 11. Ukraine, in response, questioned why Russia would not assent to its call for an immediate 30-day cease-fire. On April 29, the The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
Straits Times
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
GE2025: A nation of champion grumblers finds its groove in memes
Boisterous rallies, candidates glad-handing constituents at markets, MRT stations and bus interchanges, endless door-to-door visits – these are classic hallmarks of election hustings in Singapore, and this year's polls are no different. But there's another side to the 2025 campaign period. A parallel universe where politicians aren't in control but are definitely centre stage: the unpredictable, wildly entertaining world of memes, viral clips and cheeky online banter. Over the last few days, I've spent quite a bit of time on the campaign trail, attending rallies and observing exchanges between candidates and voters in walkabouts. Yet each night, I find myself irresistibly drawn to this other world – the meme ecosystem that lives, for my millennial generation, on Instagram. For Gen Zs, their version thrives on TikTok. Those of more senior vintage consume this content, spliced mainstream media or rally clips with voiceover or text commentaries, via Facebook and forwarded WhatsApp messages. Scrolling through my phone in the wee hours of the morning, I find myself guffawing in the darkness. My neighbours must think I've lost it. But how to explain what's so funny? It truly defies articulation, this peculiar alchemy of Singaporean political humour. The People's Power Party (PPP) candidate Samuel Lee's impromptu career ladder jingle that's now reached nationwide fame. Mr Ravi Philemon shedding his serious Red Dot United leader persona for an unexpected rendition of the K-Pop hit 'Apt'. PSP's Sumarleki Amjah earnestly demonstrating to Straits Times reporters how his silat training will aid his political strategy. And not just opposition candidates – memes ribbing the ruling party slate are abundant too. For instance, memes capturing the collective cringe of NSmen nationwide as they watch recently retired army general and PAP candidate Goh Pei Ming singing the marching tune 'Purple Light'. Then there's PPP leader Mr Goh Meng Seng. Having staked his pre-election position against the 'LGBTQ agenda,' he's now viral for emphatically clarifying he is 'not gay' and is 'straight.' Errr, okay, thanks. If not the politicians themselves providing the material, there are content creators like Don Shiau, whose uncanny impression of Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, with his unique, wholesome enunciation, and Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh, with his baritone, gravelly voice, will leave you in stitches. I doubt I could explain all this to a foreigner, let alone a Martian, why these moments trigger such deep, visceral laughter. Yet conversations with friends and colleagues confirm I'm not alone. As the hustings inevitably sort us into partisan bubbles, sometimes leaving us seething at opposing arguments – especially as rhetorical swords have sharpened these past days – this meme ecosystem is serving as a curious balm. It injects levity – and a special sense of bonding. You get a sense that, yes, we have different political affiliations, but all of us find what we're watching funny because we're programmed with the Singapore source code to get the inside joke. Maybe these characters, their palpable lack of charisma and endearing oddities aren't so absurd after all. We probably all know some uncle like Mr Philemon whose usually placid demeanour betrays no hint of his hidden vocal talents. Or we recognise there's a tone-deaf enthusiast with an otaku personality like Mr Lee lurking in all of us. Or perhaps we've encountered someone like the PSP's Sani Ismail, who serenaded Straits Times viewers with 'Strangers in the Night' – these familiar characters populate our own karaoke circles, which is precisely why they hit so close to home. Editorial cartoons for the internet age The legendary satirist Saint Hoax defines a meme as a piece of media repurposed to deliver cultural, social or political expression, mainly through humour – an editorial cartoon for the internet age, as it were. What this campaign has shown is our collective brilliance at creating them, from anonymous meme makers to established accounts like and and comedians delving into this new craft. Maybe there's a touch of 'ownself praise ownself' here, but I'd go as far as suggesting we're world class at this. It's not new, of course. The 2020 'digital-first' pandemic election, where physical rallies were banned, showcased some of this prowess. Meme makers branded PSP founder Tan Cheng Bock as a 'hype beast' for, among other things, the revelation that his glasses were a fashion item without actual lenses. That campaign also introduced Singapore's political lexicon to such terms as 'stan accounts' (social media accounts helmed by obsessive fans of politicians) and 'fan cams' – mashup videos of candidates with background music. If 2020's run was the dry rehearsal – finishing fourth in the Premier League, so to speak – this election has elevated our national meme game to world-class status. The power of levity Getting the humour right in these election memes isn't child's play. Elections are serious business, and nobody wants to trivialise their gravity. But the deft touch some content creators bring shows remarkable skill worthy of recognition. Take the incident with SDP's Gigene Wong, who used a racial slur to describe her fellow Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC candidate Ariffin Sha. She apologised – twice – but considerable consternation lingered in the local Tamil community that such language could emerge in this day and age. Enter comedian Rishi Budhrani with a brilliant skit of himself mock-chastising Ms Wong in Hokkien, warning her of dire consequences should she somehow enter parliament and use such language on the 'law minister.' It was a show of how, done right, memes can masterfully diffuse uncomfortable tension with humour, while simultaneously highlighting the absurdity of out of bounds behaviour. More importantly, these memes and humour help us put things into perspective. Content creators across the Causeway have commented that even amid all the high tensions of our campaign here, Singapore's relatively clean hustings with our large pool of uncharismatic politicians was 'cute.' In a video lathered thick with irony, Malaysian comic Jason Leong, known for searing ribs of his country's political dysfunction, suggested that watching 'too many videos' of Singapore's 'uncharismatic' politicians over the last few days led him to the conclusion that there was a correlation between charisma and corruption. 'It is safe to say that most if not all Singaporean politicians are not corrupt, by the same token that a lot of Malaysian politicians are very charismatic.' Indeed, may it long be the case that there is an abundance of awkward politicians and oddities they do and say for our meme makers to make fun of. Better than the alternative – charismatic rogues whose smooth talk empties both promises and public coffers. Champion grumblers But this begs the question: How did we get so good at this? Is there something in the water here that makes our political ribbing so on point? I can imagine the usual foreign commentary trying to make sense of this: Singapore, tightly controlled with carefully managed media, offers people no proper outlets, so memes become the release valve. We strain our eyes, rolling them . A more perceptive read is that this steady state of irreverence comes naturally to us. Outsiders miss it because they think people who've kept the same ruling party in power for so long must be docile, maybe even simpletons. They can't see what we see – that Singaporeans have always been gnawing at something. A certain innate malcontent lives in our national DNA and has always found an outlet, even as we remain pragmatic beyond measure. The late architect of this national experiment, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, once quite surgically diagnosed it: 'You know the Singaporean. He is a hard-working, industrious, rugged individual. Or we would not have made the grade. But let us also recognise that he is a champion grumbler.' Blend those ingredients – our innate grumbling talent – with our youth's digital fluency, raised in one of the world's most connected societies, and you get the 2020s edition: champion grumblers evolved into champion meme makers. Bhavan Jaipragas is deputy opinion editor and a columnist at The Straits Times. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
