Young Koreans Seem to Like a Soft Boss

Moon Jae-in, Former Chief of Presidential Secretary, is rising as a powerful Presient candidate. This month his poll rates outstriped Sohn Hak-gyu, a long candidate and present representative of the first opposition party. Mr. Moon persistently said that he would not enter the political arena. But, in front of Park Kun-hae, a strong racer of the ruling party, he is forced to be an alternative of the progressive opposition, not caring what he thinks of.

Moon was the closest confidant to late President Roh Moo-hyn and is now heading the Roh Moo-hyn Foundation. His poplularity is ‘hot’ among younger generations. He looks amateurish, unpolluted, soft. He doesn’t seem to oppress the youngsters’ opinions. He doesn’t seem to yell at his subordinates or staff, “Shut up!”

He has a gentleman image and former military man of special forces and lawyer. It is also a popular point that he is not a graduate of prestigious universities. In Korea, the public dislike school elites, because they think that small graudates of the three presigious universities (Seoul, Yonsei, and Korea Universities) monopolized the powerful positions.

As that might be the way it is, present President Lee Myung-bak and former Presidents Roh Moo-hyn, Kim Dae-jung are commercial high schoolers. Roh and Kim even didn’t go to college. Korean people absolutely do not recognize noble blood because almost everyone of Koreans think that they could become noble persons if efforts meet with luck.

In my opinion, It is thought due to appropirate Presidents at right times that Korea has made economic flourishment and reached the same level of democracy as the original West. According to people, the evaluations of the successive Presidents since 1960s would be varied. But It is thought that the Presidents did their best during their given terms. To Korean people, it is undoubtedly very good luck.

In the past Koreans wanted a strong leadership like military man. The typical President is Park Jung-hee from general. Then Korean people wanted democratic Presidents, and the latest time selected the ‘economic’ President. Now younger generations seem to call for soft, reasonable, for-the-middle-people President.
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