"Scandals, Quarrels, and Insults... The Worst Ever" Foreign Media's View on the Korean Presidential Election

Yoon Seok-yeol, the People Power Party presidential candidate (left), and Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate. / Photo by the National Assembly Press Photographers Group

[Asia Economy Reporter Na Ye-eun] The American daily The Washington Post (WP) harshly criticized the upcoming South Korean presidential election scheduled for the 9th of next month, describing it as "marred by scandals, quarrels, and insults."

On the 8th (local time), WP introduced Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate, as being embroiled in a land development corruption scandal, and Yoon Seok-youl, the People Power Party presidential candidate, as being associated with a self-proclaimed anal acupuncture practitioner. It added that the conflict between the two candidates has extended to their families.

The outlet reported, "Lee's spouse, Kim Hye-kyung, is involved in controversies over private instructions to public officials and allegations of illegal gambling by their eldest son, while Yoon's spouse, Kim Kun-hee, threatened to imprison critical journalists," and "Yoon's mother-in-law was convicted on charges of forging bank account balance certificates."

It continued, "Koreans are no strangers to political scandals," noting that "former President Park Geun-hye was impeached in 2017 on charges of abuse of power and was also suspected of allowing shamans to interfere in politics."

Furthermore, it explained, "The upcoming election has reached a new low, being called an 'election of the disliked,' with endless controversies surrounding the two candidates leading to voter fatigue, according to public opinion polls."

WP reported, "As gender debates have emerged as a 'powder keg' in this election, Kim Kun-hee's so-called '7-hour phone call' drew attention by questioning the motives of MeToo victims." Previously, Kim stated in the call that women claim to be sexual assault victims because they were not paid money.

The outlet said, "The People Power Party is attracting young male voters who believe they have lost economic opportunities due to the current administration's push for gender equality," adding, "After Kim Kun-hee's MeToo remarks sparked controversy, her online fan club grew, and Yoon's approval ratings increased."

Lee Jae-myung, the spouse of the Democratic Party presidential candidate Kim Hye-kyung (left), and Yoon Seok-youl, the spouse of the People Power Party presidential candidate Kim Gun-hee. / Photo by Yonhap News

WP also introduced the careers and allegations of candidates Lee and Yoon. Regarding Lee, it said, "As the governor of Gyeonggi Province, the most populous region, he established himself as a 'fixer' by being the first to provide cash support during COVID-19," but noted, "Under his administration, a public development project (Daejang-dong) became controversial as a few private investors profited."

About Yoon, it introduced him as "a former Prosecutor General who helped impeach former President Park and built a reputation as an aggressive anti-corruption prosecutor," adding, "His pledges include deregulation and a tougher stance on North Korea."

It criticized, "He has made several mistakes, including failing to demonstrate fluency on major policy issues and even his key election pledges, portraying him as a 'political novice.'"

Meanwhile, WP described Ahn Cheol-soo of the People’s Party as "a software mogul and former doctor," noting that "he positions himself as a centrist candidate for voters frustrated by divisive politics."

Sim Sang-jung of the Justice Party was described as "a labor activist and candidate of a progressive minor party," and "the only female candidate." However, the report noted that both candidates remain in single-digit support in opinion polls.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.