President Park Geun-hye Impeached

On March 10th, 2017 South Korean President Park Geun-hye was impeached and removed from office following charges and accusations of corruption and consorting with a friend regarding government matters. The situation involving the South Korean President was something that I was aware of and following, but I was not very well informed. Since I was in the USA when the issue first arose the only things I knew about this political issue was what I read online and saw on the news. Knowing that the news may not always be accurate, I often would ask my Korean friends what was happening. I heard a lot of the same information: the president was accused of corruption, embezzlement, and consorting with a personal friend on government matters. When I arrived in Seoul in February I was aware of the protests that were often occurring near Gyeongbokgung Palace and had seen photos my friends had taken of them, but I had yet to personally experience anything in connection with these events. It was when I woke up on the 10th of March that I learned the decision had been made to impeach President Park. Since I am not Korean I really do not have a strong opinion one way or another, I just know that if the people I care about are happy about this decision, then I am happy for them. This event made me reflect on a few things though.

The first thought that occurred to me is that it is sad that things ended up this way. As Park Geun-hye was South Korea's first woman president, I can only imagine how high the expectations people had for her were, not to mention how historical of an event it was when she was elected into office. Since she was a noteworthy president in this context, it is a shame that her term ended in such conflict. Not only this, but for all women presidential candidates, having a term end in this way leads to judgmental outcomes and unwanted stereotypes. It sets up a basis for comparison that is not optimal for future female candidates around the world. I feel like in a time where women rights are such a common topic for discussion, this type of outcome happened at the wrong time.

On a second note, I found it somewhat surprising how strong the outcry for her impeachment was over the charges she was accused of. Coming from the USA, where the newly elected President Trump has brought fourth countless controversy and mixed opinions, not to mention accusations of actions much worse than those President Park was accused of, I find it inspiring that the South Korean people were able to act in the way they did and accomplish what they wanted. I know that like Trump, President Park had mixed support, but the fact that the Korean people were able to do something shows the power of the people. I feel this is something lots of American citizens have given up on, believing their voices will not be heard, but rather silenced by those who have more power. I like the idea of the power behind a unified idea, it is something to always remember. Being unified in something can be powerful, for better and worse. The main importance is that people unify for the right, and hopefully safe, non-endangering reasons.

That being said, I think I am really fortunate to be in South Korea and that I am able to witness these types of events from a foreign perspective. I am also fortunate to be able to observe these events in a safe environment. In Naju, where I currently live, I did not see much regarding the president. There were no protests that I was aware of and I never heard anyone mention the topic. However, on the evening of the 11th of March my friend and I stumbled into an event at a nearby park. After sitting down, a very kind Korean lady provided us with warm mats to sit on, food, and cup-lights that had words on them. There was a drum group dressed in traditional clothing performing, various speakers and even dance performers. We were unsure what the event was for, but I had a hunch that it may be connected to the recent political events. It was when I had heard the president's name spoken several times by different speakers, combined with chants of "Long Live the Republic of Korea" (In Korean obviously) that I was certain we were at a political event. It was a small public event, calm and collective, focused on discussing the current political situation and celebrating the recent events. I stuck around until my hands were too cold to bear it any longer, eventually taking my leave in return for warm hands. However, I think I was lucky to have been able to witness a local event like this in my city.

Park Geun-hye Resigns!
A corrupt regime punished. (very rough translation...)

Drum Performance