[Inside Chodong] Is There No Respected Leader in Korea?

London in Mourning Immediately After the Queen's Passing
A City United in Grief as the Entire Atmosphere Changes
A Reporter’s Perspective on Sincere National Respect for a Leader

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Sun-mi] On the 8th of last month, when Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom passed away, all outdoor electronic billboards in central London were changed to display photos of the Queen. From bus stops to billboards installed high on buildings, all were replaced with dignified and graceful images of the Queen accompanied by the phrase "Her Majesty The Queen 1926~2022." The streets were adorned with ribbon wallpapers mourning the Queen's passing, and newspaper stands and subway stations were filled with newspapers announcing her death and covering her lifetime achievements and records.

The lively autumn scenery of London, with red double-decker buses running between historic buildings under a blue sky, changed instantly. Even the usually pleasant weather joined in the British people's sorrow, drizzling rain continuously on the day of the Queen's death and the following day.

On the morning after her passing, an Asian British person sitting next to me on the subway took out a Metro newspaper containing news about the Queen, sobbed for a while, and eventually broke down into uncontrollable tears. Seeing this, other Londoners around also began to cry, and soon the entire train was filled with a somber atmosphere of mourning.

The bus passing near Buckingham Palace was full of people holding flowers. An elderly woman, speaking on the phone saying, "I feel like I must stop by here today," also held a bouquet of flowers in her hand.

Despite it being a weekday morning rush hour, dozens of people holding flowers got off the bus in front of Buckingham Palace and all headed to the same place. The palace entrance was crowded with mourners lined up to pay their respects with floral tributes, so much so that people had to walk in single file. Most entertainment events were canceled, and neighboring European countries, including France, flew flags at half-mast.

The scene of London after the Queen's death, as seen by the reporter, may be fragmentary, but it evoked emotions the reporter had never experienced while living in Korea. Although it was known that the Queen was loved and respected not only in the UK and the Commonwealth but worldwide, the fact that the entire community sincerely mourned and paid tribute to the extent that the city's atmosphere changed so dramatically was astonishing.

At the time of former President Park Jeong-hui's death on October 26, 1979, the reporter was not yet born and only heard about the atmosphere. During former President Roh Moo-hyun's death in 2009, South Korea was filled with a yellow mourning atmosphere, but it felt more like a sad modern history. The British people became an object of envy for me simply because they had experienced a leader whom the people could sincerely respect and love regardless of faction or party.

After returning to Korea, the reality I faced was completely different. Less than six months after his election, President Yoon Seok-yeol's approval rating fell to the low 30% range. The evaluation that he performed well in state affairs (31.2%) was less than half of those who thought he performed poorly (66%), resulting in a disastrous outcome.

Political fights continue, with one side biting over President Yoon's perceived disrespect during the UK condolence visit and the controversy over his offensive remarks during the US visit, and the public, who are exposed to these discordant news reports, are losing even the remaining respect for the country's leaders and politicians. Will we ever be able to experience a leader whom all citizens can sincerely respect and love with one heart?

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