Ahn Hee-jung: A Dark Horse Gathers Pace
South Chungcheong governor Ahn Hee-jung has emerged as a serious contender for the presidency In June 2004, a tall figure in summer prison garb and short hair was brought into Seoul Central District Court. The judge sentenced Ahn Hee-jung, a close aide of then-president Roh Moo-hyun, to 30 months in
![[Updated] Guide to South Korea's Presidential Election](https://cdn.media.bluedot.so/bluedot.koreaexpose/wordpress/2017/02/Screen-Shot-2017-02-11-at-10.23.43-PM.png)
[Updated] Guide to South Korea's Presidential Election
The National Assembly impeached her. The Constitutional Court stripped her of presidency. Prosecutors have summoned her for questioning. She is now holed up in her house in Gangnam, not seen after moving out of the presidential Blue House on Mar. 12. Since the Choi Soon-sil gate broke
The Enemy Is Within Our Ranks
Two narratives generally dominate the portrayal of South Korea’s most important holidays, Chuseok (the Autumn Harvest) and Seollal (the Lunar New Year), which was just last week. There’s the happy narrative: Extended families get together to celebrate over traditional home-cooked Korean dishes; smiling celebrities in hanbok promote the
Goodbye, Mr. Half
The return of former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Jan. 12 was one of the most closely watched events in recent memory, perhaps barring only the political scandal that has afflicted the impeached president Park Geun-hye. When Ban arrived, hundreds of his supporters greeted him rapturously at the airport.
Journalism Without Journalists: Political Interference Cripples Public Broadcasting
President Park Geun-hye’s scandal is often seen as a triumph of South Korean journalism. Not just for the dogged investigations by countless journalists, but because typically partisan newspapers on different sides of the political spectrum, like Hankyoreh and Chosun Ilbo, all reported persistently and critically on the same
A Candlelight Effect: Kim Jong-un Bows to His People
This concern [to improve the lives of the citizens] was in my heart, but I lacked the ability to see these dreams to fruition and spent the last year in regret and guilt. If I ask you to guess who the quote above is from, what name comes to
Sulli and K-Pop's Lolita Hypocrisy
Sulli is an interesting figure in the K-pop world. She entered the world of South Korean celebrity at the ripe age of 11, debuted as a member of girl group f(x) four years later in 2009, and rose to stardom under the strict guidance of SM Entertainment, a mega-agency
Still Impenetrable: Samsung Heir Lee Jae-yong Avoids Arrest to Mixed Reactions
The months-long scandal that has convulsed the top ranks of South Korean politics and business took a turn in the early hours of Thursday, as a court declined to grant an arrest warrant for Lee Jae-yong, vice chairman of Samsung Electronics, the country’s most prominent company and the crown
South Korea's Feudal Presidency: Ban Ki-moon Returns to Claim the Throne
Victorious generals of ancient Rome had processions known as triumphus to celebrate their successes abroad. Former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, too, got one of a sort when he returned to South Korea on Thursday, Jan. 12. He was mobbed on arrival at Incheon International Airport by well-wishers and journalists.
What Was That Jacket Chung Yoo-ra Was Wearing?
When Chung Yoo-ra was brought out from hiding after being apprehended by police in Denmark, many questions swirled in South Korea about Chung and her role in the evolving scandal centered around her mother, Choi Soon-sil. Just how did Chung, a reputed ne’er do well with lackluster academic credentials,
Ethics Be Damned: South Korean Journalism Fails
I am from South Korea, but I make it a point not to write or speak in Korean about this country. That my Korean language skills have ossified from disuse is only one reason; it is more that my brushes with South Korean media are rarely uplifting. A case in
Adoptee Reunions: A Happy Ending Can Be Elusive
When I tell South Korean nationals that I’m a Korean-American adoptee, their reactions vary from a kind of backhanded recognition (“Oh, so that’s why you can’t speak Korean”) to profuse apologies (“I’m so sorry that happened to you”) to expressions of jealousy (“You’re so lucky;