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Straits Times
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
In upcoming S. Korean presidential race, candidates, their ideological stripes and pledges may not matter
The race will boil down to South Koreans voting on whether they agree or disagree with the short-lived martial law of Dec 3, 2024. PHOTO: EPA-EFE In upcoming S. Korean presidential race, candidates, their ideological stripes and pledges may not matter - As the campaigning for South Korea's upcoming presidential election kicked off officially on May 12, political observers are predicting that the race will not be about the candidates, their policy pledges or even political ideology. It will boil down to South Koreans voting on whether they agree or disagree with the short-lived martial law of Dec 3, 2024 declared by then President Yoon Suk Yeol. He was stripped of his presidential powers on April 4, triggering the June 3 snap election for a new leader. Yoon is currently undergoing a criminal trial on insurrection charges, for the debacle that sparked off the country's worst political upheaval in decades that saw a quick succession of acting presidents, with the latest one being Mr Lee Jun-ho, who is also the Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister. 'To frame it simply, this election will be about the voters' appraisal of the martial law fiasco,' Yonsei University's Dr Bong Young-shik told The Straits Times. 'Ideological differences have been by and large diluted, at least temporarily,' he added. Referring to opinion polls conducted by various agencies since the martial law incident, Dr Bong said that the results have shown 'the consistent dominant negative views' held by South Koreans over what had happened. Among those with such views is Madam Seo Eun-sook, 68, a Seoulite who has been a conservative all her life. She is choosing to vote against the lines of ideology after being bitterly disappointed by the actions of Yoon, who is from the conservative ruling party, the People Power Party (PPP). She told ST that she could not condone martial law, having experienced the country's military rule in the early 1980s. This leaves her with no other choice but to vote for the liberal candidate, opposition leader Lee Jae-myung, instead of the PPP candidate, she said. 'I will only go back to voting for the conservatives once the People Power Party regains its sanity!' she said in a huff. Mr Lee, who is widely tipped to win the race, has pulled further ahead of his rivals since campaigning started, as the latest opinion polls show. Results released by Gallup Korea on May 16 showed that Mr Lee's approval rating has risen to 51 per cent, far ahead of the 29 per cent of the PPP candidate, former labour minister Kim Moon-soo, and the eight per cent of Mr Lee Jun-seok, leader of the minor conservative Reform Party. The same poll also found the biggest opposition party, the Democratic Party, leading with 48 per cent approval, its highest rating in three years, while the ruling PPP is a distant second at 30 per cent. The two main presidential candidates opted to start their campaigns in the traditional conservative strongholds in the south-eastern region of the country which includes the cities of Daegu, Pohang and Busan. South Korea's presidential candidates Lee Jae-myung (left) of the liberal Democratic Party and Kim Moon-soo of the conservative People Power Party, making campaign stops in Iksan and Suwon respectively on May 16. PHOTO: EPA-EFE Both Mr Lee and Mr Kim have put forth similar domestic policy pledges centred on efforts to reboot the country's sluggish economy and ambitions to propel South Korea to be one of the world's top three artificial intelligence (AI) powers. Mr Kim attempted to solidify support in a region which has produced several past conservative presidents such as strongmen Chun Doo-hwan and Park Chung-hee and his daughter Park Geun-hye, and Mr Lee Myung-bak. His rival Mr Lee, meanwhile, sought to sway conservative voters by emphasising national unity in the aftermath of the martial law debacle and pledging to prioritise the nation's future over political ideology. The region is also where Mr Lee had posted his weakest results in the 2022 presidential race which he lost by a very slim margin to Yoon. Speaking at a rally on May 13 in the small city of Gumi near Daegu city, Mr Lee urged voters to transcend political ideological divides and pick 'the other choice for once'. 'Try to give Lee Jae-myung a chance. The future of this country is more important than whichever side you are on,' he said. South Korean politics have traditionally been marked by an east-west ideological divide, with most of the eastern cities favouring conservatives while the western cities tend to favour the liberals. This divide arose during the nation's industrialisation era in the 1970s and 1980s, when the country's early conservative leaders like Mr Park and Mr Chun prioritised their home regions in the east for economic growth. But these days, such a geographical ideological split is increasingly losing its relevance, says political science professor Kang Won-Taek from the Seoul National University. 'While such regionalism still affects South Korea's political landscape somewhat, I believe that the impact has significantly weakened,' he said. 'Previously, such regionalism arose because of the difference in economic benefits received from Seoul, but these days the younger generation no longer think that way,' said Prof Kang at a briefing for foreign journalists on April 16, adding that the regional divide these days is between the developed urban Seoul metropolitan region and the rest of the country. The key to the presidential election victory would lie in the swing voters, says Prof Kang. Swing or moderate voters are estimated to make up about 40 per cent of the voting populace. In a bid to win back moderate voters, Mr Kim, a low-profile minister who caught attention for being the only Cabinet minister who refused to apologise in Parliament for the martial law fiasco, belatedly offered his apology at the National Assembly on May 15. He said that he would have stopped Yoon if he had known in advance Yoon's plans for martial law. But Dr Bong thinks the apology comes too late. 'Voters can see through why Mr Kim is now apologising for martial law when he did not do so earlier. No matter how many apologies they issue during this campaign, it is not going to critically shift the perception of voters at this point, especially with moderate voters,' he said. A moderate voter, teacher Kim Young-in, 50, told ST that her choice was clear ever since the brush with martial law. 'Lee Jae-myung may not be perfect, but I believe he will at least uphold the foundations of our country's constitutional laws,' she said. Wendy Teo is The Straits Times' South Korea correspondent based in Seoul. She covers issues concerning the two Koreas. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Korea Herald
06-03-2025
- Business
- Korea Herald
Foodie tour of Namwon uncovers surprises
Meltingly tender pork paired with wine stands out in city best known for mudfish soup NAMWON, North Jeolla Province — Namwon is a foodie city. And that is increasingly palpable as trendy eateries like a gluten-free, sugar-free bakery for the health-conscious and a bar known for pairing wine with jambon, jamon and salami open up around the city. It's worth the roughly two-hour high-speed KTX ride from Seoul to sample the food options in Namwon, because unlike in the capital, venues are much less crowded, meaning more space to kick back and relax while indulging in great food. Namwon classics like a fish soup called chueotang is one way to bring a visit to Namwon to a successful close. The Chop Shop This bar opened in 2019 but dates back by at least two decades, when Park Hwa-chun began raising a new breed of pigs called Berkshire-K. Meats produced here ranges from jambon, dry-cured with sea salt and spices, to jamon, redder and saltier, but still silken, to salami, a rough textured sausage. 'We pair them with wine, which balances out saltiness. Ours isn't that salty in the first place compared to what you might have tried elsewhere. We've figured out 'Korean salty,'' said Park Ja-yeon, Hwa-chun's elder son who runs the shop. The 32-year-old Park doesn't just serve travelers stopping by, he has also been organizing interactive programs for elementary to high school students to see how meat is processed. For college students, such programs are more intense, allowing them to tour processing factories nearby. Factories aside, The Chop Shop is the only establishment in Korea that not only processes meat, but also maintains pig farms, Ja-yeon said, mentioning their pig farm 500 meters above sea level. This means shorter summer weather, which helps with raising the pigs. 'We traveled down here to see if the meats taste as good as online reviews say,' said Lim Young-eun, a 20-something Seoulite who made the trip with friends last year. 'Taste is a bit subjective. What I can definitively say is that they aren't smelly. No aftertaste. I think that alone is a big plus,' she added. Jambon, jamon and salami are not household terms in Korea, yet that does not mean they cannot be everyday foods for Koreans some day, according to the younger Park. 'For some young people I serve every day, this might just turn out to be their comfort food,' Park said. No Sugar Having opened in December, No Sugar is a bakery that seeks to cater to the health-conscious looking to cut back on foods with added sugar. While removing sugar entirely from its lineup, the bakery has not sacrificed variety. On the shelves were rice sticks, brown rice chocolate loaves and madeleines. 'We want bread that's healthy with flavors,' said Lee Sung-hee, who heads the shop that is partially funded by the government. The city of Namwon won a Korean government grant to boost its local economy, and agreed to jointly run the shop with a co-op set up by Namwon farmers. Lee, a native of Namwon, said her bakery advances a bigger cause, noting the proceeds are distributed to residents nearby aged 80 and older as an allowance. The bakery has a high ceiling and floor-to-ceiling windows that afford a view of the surrounding landscape. This offers 'the kind of peace and quite' hard to come by at packed shops in Seoul, said Pyo Ye-lim, a Seoul resident. 'Seoul hot spots with something that tastes just as good are always packed,' she said, noting she deemed No Sugar just as tasty and much less stuffy inside. One complaint, if she were to make one, was how the bakery seemed less invested in actively drawing people in, Pyo added, pointing out it could not be reached by public transportation. Chueotang Chueotang, a soup that highlights loaches, also known as mudfish, is a Namwon classic. Thanks to immediate access to the freshwater fish, the southwestern city offers different varieties of the soup. Prepared with soybean paste and vegetables like radish greens and chives in addition to the mudfish, the soup is generally not spicy. Perilla powder is sprinkled on top to add to the savory taste. 'We come here almost every weekend,' said Kim Nam-jeong, 77, referring to her husband of the same age with whom she has frequented Hwangto Restaurant for the last 15 years. The couple, who have called Namwon their lifelong home, said they feel at peace when visiting the restaurant, which can seat up to 70 people. It is well known among locals — 7 out of 10 customers are locals, according to the restaurant manager. Chueotang is believed to boost stamina, and the squiggly fish is sometimes offered as a separate fried dish. Try the crispy fried fish bone, which crackles when chewed. Gwanghalluwon Strolling through Gwanghalluwon, a garden compound, is a gratifying way to conclude a food tour of Namwon, said Kim Sun-joo, a guide at the city-operated garden with a pavilion. The garden from the early Joseon era (1392-1910) was built to portray the eternal universe envisioned by Joseon officials. 'There's philosophy behind all these pavilions, halls and ponds,' Kim said. 'They're food for thought.'
Korea Herald
01-03-2025
- Korea Herald
Time to talk it out -- at a sauna
Finnish barrel saunas pick up steam as alternative to bathhouses GWANGJU, Gyeonggi Province -- Saunas aren't just a toasty respite. That's according to Oh Seung-youl, one of the local entrepreneurs who have capitalized on barrel saunas -- an outdoor activity involving a wood stove with small rocks, a changing room and most importantly, something to snack on. 'The barrel sauna is like a heat therapy. It's warm enough to open us up physically, with a better blood flow, as well as mentally as relaxation renders a candid talk much easier,' Oh, a man in his 50s, said of his yearslong observation of people frequenting his Inside Finnish Forest in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province. Since 2022, Inside Finnish Forest has operated as a cafe with giant sauna barrels, five in total, each accommodating between four and eight guests for a two-and-a-half-hour session, three times a day. Reservations fill up quickly, especially in winter when Seoulites seek a nearby warm escape. 'Proximity was our No. 1 concern in deciding where to go,' said Yoon Myung-soo, a Seoulite who lives in Gangnam-gu. The less than an hour drive to Inside Finnish Forest is 'a definite plus,' making it a clear winner among similar facilities in the Gyeonggi and Gangwon provinces. They all promote a 'Finnish sauna' experience, a trend increasingly picking up steam. For Yoon, travel distance mattered the most because he was the driver; his wife's priority was post-sauna snacks. What they both wanted, however, was 'a genuine but casual talk' in a setting that boosts intimacy, according to the couple. 'The online reviews of this place were pretty good, talking about the kind of private space that we thought of, decent and not too shabby,' Yoon said. It is hard to concentrate on each other when talking over a meal, according to Yoon and his wife, surnamed Heo. 'I like how snacks here like bagels are above average, to my taste at least,' Heo said of her satisfaction in having picked 'the right place to rejuvenate and have a talk.' At an extra cost, guests can have sweet potatoes and sweet rice drinks called sikhye while inside the sauna. For many, health concerns were the primary reason for coming out for the sauna. 'I used to like relaxing in a hot tub because you could feel your aches ease immediately once you get in the water,' said Pyo Jung-jin, a sauna enthusiast who attributed the switch to sauna to his suspicion that bubbly spa tubs may not be as germfree as they looked to his naked eyes. 'It's nearly impossible to clean inside the jet spray pipes, like bacteria, which would be everything antithetical to a therapeutic break I want,' Pyo said, adding there is no water quality to maintain in barrel saunas. Sprinkling water on the rocks on the stove is all it takes to raise the temperature and humidity inside the sauna barrel, a convenience Pyo doubts will have adverse health effects. The temperature inside the saunas averages 80 degrees Celsius, twice that of typical hot tubs, another feature Pyo says appeals to sauna enthusiasts seeking intense heat. Oh, the Inside Finnish Forest owner, testifies to the quality of light-colored wood each sauna barrel is made of, which can withstand wide fluctuations in heat and humidity. Red cedar and pine are used to build a single barrel, which Oh says is worth at least ten million won ($7,000). The barrels made at a factory he runs nearby are sold to sauna facilities nationwide. Expanding the distribution network wasn't what motivated Oh, however. He recalled his many trips to Finland, a country known for saunas, that inspired his shop. 'Even apartment units come with a built-in sauna,' Oh said of the ubiquity of saunas in Finland and how a sauna means more than an escape from freezing winter. 'I'm after building a culture,' he said, 'where people come together to talk about anything, light to heavy, and bond while doing it.' Saunas will lead the way, he added with a radiant smile.
