"Presidential Candidates Criticizing Foreign Leaders for Provoking Great Powers... Is There a Problem?"

Candidates Criticize 'Zelensky' in Debate
"Is This a Korean Presidential Candidate?" Flood of Domestic and International Criticism
Shared on Popular US Online Community 'Reddit'
Experts: "International Community Has High Expectations for Korea"
"Political Sphere Must Discuss Global Diplomacy Beyond Korean Peninsula Issues"

Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine, is giving a briefing via smartphone on the 26th (local time). / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Ju-hyung] "A novice politician who had been in office for six months in Ukraine became president, provoked Russia, and eventually caused a conflict." (Lee Jae-myung, Democratic Party presidential candidate), "Ukraine should have joined NATO quickly." (Yoon Seok-yeol, People Power Party presidential candidate)

These are recent remarks by the presidential candidates from both ruling and opposition parties regarding Russia's invasion of Ukraine. While some criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is personally fighting on the front lines to prevent Russian forces from capturing the capital Kyiv, others suggested that Ukraine should have joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) earlier.

Such comments by the candidates have been widely criticized as inappropriate. In particular, netizens from Western countries, which are directly providing weapons to Ukraine or participating in economic sanctions against Russia, have openly criticized the candidates. Some express concerns that these careless remarks, made without considering the international environment due to focusing only on domestic politics, could lead to diplomatic offenses.

◆"Novice president," "Should have joined NATO"... Criticism of Ukraine during security debate

Candidate Lee Jae-myung stated at the second foreign affairs and security debate hosted by the National Election Commission on the 25th, "A novice politician who had been president for six months in Ukraine declared joining NATO and provoked Russia, which eventually led to conflict," adding, "Of course, Russia's invasion of sovereign territory deserves condemnation, but this is a clear example that diplomatic failure leads to war."

On the 25th, Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate (left), and Yoon Seok-youl, the People Power Party presidential candidate, attended the presidential candidate broadcast debate. / Photo by Yonhap News

This remark was intended as a critique of candidate Yoon's hardline stance, including his recent mentions of 'preemptive strike' and additional deployment of THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense), which could potentially cause diplomatic friction. However, some criticized it as shifting the blame for Russia's invasion onto President Zelensky.

Meanwhile, candidate Yoon stated on his Facebook on the 24th regarding Ukraine's crisis, "This incident shows the diplomatic plight of a 'non-aligned' country without allies," and argued, "Ukraine should have joined NATO quickly." Although this was meant to emphasize the importance of the Korea-US alliance, some netizens criticized it as giving premature advice to a country engulfed in war risk.

It was not only the presidential candidates who made inappropriate remarks about the situation. Former Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae said at a Democratic Party rally in Jeonbuk on the 26th, "A six-month novice politician can cause a national crisis. Haven't we seen this clearly in the Ukraine war?" Minister of Justice Park Beom-gye also faced criticism from netizens after sharing an article criticizing President Zelensky on social media.

As the controversy grew, candidate Lee apologized that afternoon, saying, "If I caused misunderstanding to the Ukrainian people, it was due to my lack of expression," and bowed his head, stating, "I have clearly criticized Russia's invasion and expressed support for Ukraine more than any other presidential candidate."

Candidate Yoon also criticized Lee that day, saying, "We cannot entrust our country's future to politicians who dismiss other countries' wars as someone else's problem and only talk about peace," and apologized to the Ukrainian people, saying, "As a presidential candidate of the Republic of Korea, I apologize to the Ukrainian people whose pride was hurt."

◆Domestic and international criticism pours in over 'Zelensky criticism' remarks

President Zelensky was elected in the 2019 Ukrainian presidential election, defeating former President Petro Poroshenko.

During the 2019 presidential election campaign, President Zelensky / Photo by Yonhap News

Born in 1978 when Ukraine was still part of the Soviet Union, he gained public recognition as a comedian from his teenage years through TV humor programs. He earned a master's degree in law from Kyiv National Economic University and later received great public support in Ukraine for his political satire show "Servant of the People."

Having earned the reputation of a 'national comedian,' he founded a political party named "Servant of the People," after his hit show, in 2018 and entered politics, winning the presidency the following year. Since it took only about a year from founding the party to winning the presidential election, he is considered a political rookie who achieved remarkable success.

Because of this, some Western media initially viewed President Zelensky with skepticism during the early days of his administration. For example, in December last year, the US newspaper The New York Times (NYT) criticized Ukraine's security crisis as a result of Zelensky's personnel policies, claiming that he appointed entertainers and family members as close aides, leaving the government without security experts.

However, this skeptical view has diminished as President Zelensky has demonstrated calm leadership despite facing the major crisis of the Russian invasion.

Meanwhile, the controversy flared again when domestic presidential candidates mentioned a "six-month novice politician" during a security debate. Although the candidates apologized, there are concerns that remarks made without considering the international atmosphere have already caused significant damage to South Korea's external image.

In fact, candidate Lee's "novice politician" remark was posted on Reddit, one of the largest online communities in the US, sparking outrage among overseas netizens.

Debate video of Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate, posted on Reddit, one of the largest online communities in the United States / Photo by Reddit capture

They criticized, saying, "It sounds like blaming Poland for Hitler's invasion and blaming Korea for Japan's aggression," "Zelensky is still in the capital, but I wonder if that candidate would stay in Seoul if North Korea invaded," and "The whole world condemns Russia, but only Korea makes such remarks. It's unbelievable."

There is also analysis that such attitudes could negatively affect Korea's allies. Arius The, a North Korea nuclear security researcher at the Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs at the Australian National University and a contributor to NK News, pointed out, "Korean politicians want to play a more important role on the international stage, but often refuse to choose sides on the world's most important events."

Civilians also criticized the presidential candidates for making inappropriate remarks to foreign leaders.

A 30-year-old office worker, A, who watched the last presidential debate online, said, "News is coming out that Ukrainian citizens are risking their lives to resist Russia's invasion right now, but presidential candidates are criticizing another country's president. It was absurd," adding, "There are Ukrainian immigrants living in Korea. They must have watched the debate, so how would they feel?"

A 20-year-old university student, B, said, "The Korean War happened only a few decades ago, and thousands of soldiers and civilians were sacrificed. How would we feel if a foreign leader said, 'It's because Korea is incompetent' back then?" and criticized, "It's not just absurd; I'm ashamed to be Korean."

Experts suggest that as South Korea's status in the international community has changed, candidates, primary campaigns, and political parties should show a more mature attitude.

Political commentator Lee Jong-hoon said, "As South Korea's economic and cultural status has changed from before, the expectations placed on us by the international community have also increased significantly," adding, "Especially since we are an export country, global diplomacy and security are directly linked to our economic issues. Presidential candidates should recognize this changed environment."

He continued, "Previously, South Korea tended to focus only on the security issues of the Korean Peninsula based on diplomacy with the four powers (the US, Japan, China, and Russia), but going forward, a stance that connects Korean Peninsula issues with global diplomacy is necessary. For that, not only candidates but also campaigns and political parties need to show much more mature discussions," he emphasized.

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