President Park Geun-hye

Korea has elected a female president, something America is yet to achieve. On the other hand, South Korea is certainly several centuries away from electing a black president, so the old US of A shouldn't feel too bad.

Apparently Park compares herself to Margaret Thatcher. I wonder how long before my kindergarten stop receiving their milk with their morning snacks.

It seems, no matter where I go in the world, I can not escape the damn conservatives!!!

Park Geun-hye high five!

Korea's Presidential Elections

Not only have I had the thrill of being in Korea the year Psy took over the world with Gangnam Style, I'm also lucky enough to be here for the presidential election that takes place every four years.

Tomorrow, December 19th, is election day. It is such a momentous occasion that its a national holiday! All public schools and most private schools are closed. My school however, is not! I have to work while the rest of the country has the day off!

I'm afraid I'm rather ignorant when it comes to the ins and outs of Korean politics for you'll have to forgive me for glossing over (omitting entirely) the details.

The two candidates are: Park Geun-Hye and Moon Jae-In. Park is the daughter of Park Chung-Hee, who was president from 1963-1979, she is controversial as her father was a dictator. She's right wing(ish). Moon is an old lawyer-turned-democrat.

Being English, I've never before been privy to a presidential election and I'd be interested to learn how it compares to the elections in America. As with most things over here, I'm sure that the political campaigns are American inspired.

One thing that was most entertaining for me and Ric was the campaigners out in the street every night. It's mid-December, double minus figures, and there were people dancing like lunatics in the street campaigning for both Park and Moon.

Tonight, in the city centre, there were two vans on each side of the road. One red, one yellow [red lorry, yellow lorry, red lorry, yellow lorry....]. One had Park Geun Hye on the side (red), the other had Moon Jae In on the side (yellow). The vans were complete with huge TV screens showing amusing animations of the candidates.

Each van was surrounded by people dancing to very loud music. Serious choreographed dancing too. 

Better still, the Park party had a man dressed up as an ancient Korean king! It was very awkward as both parties were right next to each other waving posters and flags. I'm sure that in England, if there were labour and conservative party members dancing around side by side in the street, it would end in a fight. Especially if John Prescott was there...

I apologise for my bias representation of the political parties. Only one had a king.

I'm not really informed enough to cast my [imaginary] vote; Park would be the first female president and that would be great for Korean women (equal rights haven't been invented yet here), and she had a king campaigning for her. But... I hear her father was a douche bag and Moon seems like a nice earnest old man.