(Newswire.net — March 10, 2017) — The Constitutional Court of the Republic of Korea today upheld the impeachment of President Park, opening doors for the most important national election contests since the establishment of the Republic of Korea in 1948.
The outcome of the race could hold enormous consequences not only for South Korea, but for the international community as well.
A divisive political corruption scandal forced President Park Geun-hye to step down in favor of acting President Hwang Kyo-ahn in December 2016. Now, several popular candidates hope to lead South Korea during a period of heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
The leading contenders disagree with one another about numerous issues, including the best way to maintain geopolitical stability within the region.
While the conservative fraction supports a rigid ideology of increasing the country’s armament, ROK youth are asking for more diplomacy as the main political policy and are leaning towards Moon Jae-In, the current front runner in the race.
Presidential candidate Moon Jae-in served as the Chief of Staff of former President Roh Moo-hyun, a progressive who struggled to promote improved communications with Pyongyang.
Moon Jae-in suggests that maintaining engagement with North Korea in close consultation with South Korean allies is the key to obtaining a diplomatic resolution of conflicts on the Korean Peninsula. He views a nuclear-free North Korea to be essential for the stability and prosperity of the region.
Moon Jae-in possesses close personal reasons for desiring a permanent and peaceful resolution of conflicts in the Korean Peninsula. His parents originally resided in North Korea. They fled to Busan in 1950. Moon Jae-in spent his childhood living in poverty in the aftermath of the war.
After having completed the mandatory military service, Moon Jae-in served in South Korea’s Special Forces. Later, he became an attorney and worked to promote human rights and greater civil liberties.
Those values are recognized by millions of supporters, much of them in their twenties and thirties, who launched mass protests against President Park, accusing him of corruption.
If Moon Jae-in wins the upcoming election this year, he would possess a remarkable opportunity to help South Korea change its course. His ability to trigger important changes in the economy would likely depend upon his leadership skills. South Korea’s dynamic society will surely rebound from the current painful government crisis and be able to move forward. Yet the person selected to serve as the nation’s new President will undoubtedly exercise a lot of influence over the course of events.
Anyone assuming an elected office following a national political scandal should of course expect to encounter obstacles. For example, in the United States, both President Gerald Ford and his successor, President Jimmy Carter, dealt with repercussions from the Watergate Scandal, long after President Nixon’s resignation.