The winner of South Korea’s elections, by a margin of less than a single percentage point, is the conservative candidate Yoon Suk-yeol.
A former top prosecutor, he caused controversy in securing the presidency, writes @katiestallard.
newstatesman.com/world/asia/202…
South Korea’s elections have been mired in mudslinging, scandal and personal attacks intended to appeal to the country’s divided and increasingly polarised electorate.
Some analysts called it the “Squid Game election”.
Yoon Suk-yeol has emerged victorious.
In his victory speech on 9 March, Yoon promised to join hands with his rivals and “unite into one for the people and the country.”
The conservative, with no political or experience in foreign affairs has promised to investigate the outgoing progressive leader, Moon Jae-in, and take a much more combative stance against China and North Korea.
Beijing is unlikely to welcome Yoon Suk-yeol’s victory, and South Korea can not afford to alienate China.
But significant though these foreign policy shifts would be for the region’s geopolitics, the most immediate impact of Yoon’s presidency may be felt in South Korea’s domestic politics.
The country’s gender conflict is intensifying.
The new president cultivated support from South Korea’s burgeoning “men’s rights” and “anti-feminist” movement during the campaign.
South Korea has the largest gender pay gap of any country in the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development – with women earning almost a third less than their male counterparts.
South Korea had one of the first #MeToo movements in Asia.
The anti-feminist movement was fuelled by economic grievances and complaints that efforts to improve gender equality were unfairly disadvantaging men.
Yoon Suk-yeol mobilised the ‘men’s rights’ movement and played to their concerns.
Yoon Suk-yeol pledged during the campaign to abolish the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family.
The move delivered him a sizeable boost among young male voters.
However, the move is unlikely to have the effect he has promised, writes @katiestallard.
Furthermore, in order to unite the country, he will need to start with the divisions he has helped to sow.
newstatesman.com/world/asia/202…
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