August 16, 2021

South Korea Democratic Primary Schedule

( Source- 언론알아야바꾼다 youtube 8.16) New democratic party primary campaign schedule dates: Sep. 4, circuit primary campaigns begin (previously Aug. 7); Sep. 12, party members caste votes in first round primary candidate selection; Oct. 3, second round balloting for presidential candidate; Oct. 10, final voting to confirm democratic party presidential candidate's nomination; Announcement mid-October.


( Source- 언론알아야바꾼다 youtube 8.16) South Korea's 2022 presidential election schedule. In 2022, official registration of presidential candidates begins Feburary 13-14, with the election activity officially beginning Feb. 15; Overseas balloting period February 23-28; Early ballots March 4-5 and final ballots March 9, 2022.

The important dates for the South Korean primary selection process for presidential candidates from an earlier 언론알아야바 video report had outdated information concerning the democratic party primary process. These two graphics are posted as an update/correction. These two graphics from the same source, are taken from the 언알바 youtube video on August 16. The changes in the schedule were secured by supporters of Lee Nak-won and Chung Sye-kyun. It was believed that a four to five week delay in the primary selection schedule would give them some more time to catch up to Lee Jae-myung, the leading democratic candidate and Gyeonggido governor. Lee Nak-yon is 12.9 percent in national polling, and Chung is less than 2 percent.

It was noted in the same program that Lee JM has a distinct advantage in the electoral race as the current governor of Gyeonggido which has more democratic voters than any other jurisdiction in South Korea. Competitors are unlikely to make inroads criticizing Lee JM's proposals for universal income payments to compensate individuals for the adverse economic effects of the pandemic. The reactionary ideological response from the right, that it isn't the government's responsibility to support the people economically is likely to fall flat. The "where are you going to get the money arguments" of centrist democrats like Lee Nak-yon aren't gaining much traction with democrats under the circumstances. As a governor, Lee Jae-myung can get the money right out of his own provincial administration budget and distribute it, while others carp about austerity. Another positive attribute of Lee JM's approach is that it is practical, and demonstrates a commitment to the public welfare and economic issues. Thus the focus of the election is directed away from a negative mandate on the Moon Jae-in administration, where centrists and conservatives without a policy program would like it to stay.

The source 언론알아야바 also noted the public policy discussion scheduled by the conservative People's Power Party for its presidential candidates on September 17 and 25th. Yoon's camp had indicated a reluctance to participate with a large slate of minor candidates. Hong Joong-pyo has criticized Yoon for his reluctance to debate characterizing it as fear. In another provocative and politically significant move, Hong has gone beyond general criticism of Yoon's politicization of the Prosecutor General's office, to a specific attack on the corruption of the law enforcement processes concerning his mother in law, who was recently convicted of fraud in the operation of a medical facility. Hong specifically raised the issue of whether or not there was political interference in the earlier investigation of the case when a nolle prosse determination was made concerning Yoon's mother in law, Choi. Recently, mother in law Choi, was found guilty at her first trial and sentenced to three years in prison. So Hong has taken the initiative here, firing a shot across the bow, indicating that he accepts the allegations of progressives on the left, and the prosecution reform faction of the democratic party, that Yoon compromised his former public office and the rule of law in South Korea. This is Yoon's Achilles' heel. One could argue, that Yoon has to become president in order to protect himself and his family from further investigations and prosecution. There are currently several corruption investigations pending against Yoon, his wife, and mother in law. The conservative mainstream media is avoiding this subject matter as much as possible. They are stake holders in the Yoon political scheme referred to commonly as press-prosecution collusion (to protect corrupt special interests).

If matters related to the alleged corruption of the prosecutors' offices and Yoon's family are fair targets in a political campaign how will the press avoid the issue when they are debated on a televised debate? How will they avoid the issue if Yoon declines to participate? Hong wins either way, and democrats benefit from conservative infighting. Will Hong's scathing commentary on Yoon be limited to Facebook posts and social media? Checking the English language media last night, the internal fissure in the PPP was described as a candidate Yoon- Party Leader Lee feud. This was covered in our prior post, but the Hong- Yong rivalry is likely to be more damaging, as Hong is an experienced and able campaigner.


The above supplements my earlier August 14 polling update at the link below which has more discussion about the early presidential campaign maneuvering in South Korea:

https://civilizationdiscontents.blogspot.com/2021/08/south-korea-august-12-polls-in.html

August 9, 2021

Originally a friend recommended that I post what I translated

Originally, i did it to learn the language. I translated news articles mostly. She encouraged me to write down what i was doing. I listened to songs and memorized them when I was a driver to pass the time. Eventually i realized how beautiful some of the song lyrics were and began writing them down. When my friend died I translated this song:

친구여 조용필 가사 Dear Friend, by Jo Yong Pil, lyrics
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=fCTbT85876s

꿈은 A dream
하늘에서 잠자고 In the sky sleeping
추억은 Memory
구름따라 흐르고 flows following clouds
친구여 Dear Friend
모습은 어딜 갔나 Your visage, where has it gone?
그리운 친구여 Missed dear friend.

옛 일 Past days
생각이 날때마다 each time those thoughts arise,
우리 our
잃어버린 정 찾아 lost affection, I seek
친구여 Dear Friend
꿈속에서 만날까 in a dream shall we meet
조용히 눈을 감네 Quietly, close our eyes

슬픔도 기쁨도 Sadness and Joy too,
외로움도 함께 했지 loneliness too, we had together.
부푼 꿈 을 안고 Risen dream, embrace
내일을 다짐하던 Tomorrow, our promised
우리 굳 센 약속 어디에 Our sure strong pledge where is it?

꿈은 The dream
하늘에서 잠자고 Sleeps in heaven
추억은 The memory
구름따라 흐르고 flows following clouds
친구여 Dear Friend
모습은 어딜 갔나 Your visage, where has it gone?
그리운 친구여 Missed dear friend.

If overtaken by events and I stop to listen to or work on some translation of a beautiful song, it restores my sense of balance and well being. I know poetry or other great art can do the same. These are not my lyrics, but I want others to experience the beauty of these songs.

August 9, 2021

South Korea: Current presidential candidate standings, as of August 5.

(Source- 언론 알아야 바꾼다 youtube 8.8) Joongang survey of public opinion from 8.3 to 8.5: percent approval of leading presidential candidates: Lee Jae-myung, governor of Gyeonggido, democratic party, 25% ; Yoon Seok-yeol, former Prosecutor General, People's Power Party, 19 %; Lee Nak-yon, national assembly member, former prime minister and party leader, democratic party, 11 % ; and Choi Jae-hyung, former government audit agency head, PPP, 4%.


(Source- 언론 알아야 바꾼다 youtube 8.8) This line chart follows chronologically from Feb 2021 week one (left) fitness for presidential office opinions by percentage surveyed by NBS up to the first week in August (right) for the top three candidates: Lee Jae-myung, democratic party (top blue line, 28% ); Yoon Seok-yeol, PPP candidate (red line, 22% ); and Lee Nak-yon, democratic party (blue-green line, 10% ).

Lee Jae-myung, is the popular democratic governor of Gyeonggi Do (province) a major suburban area around Seoul. He is regarded as the progressive candidate. Yoon Seok-yeol is the conservative independent candidate who just joined the PPP conservative opposition party. Yoon is a former prosecutor whose family is embroiled in controversy and legal investigations. It is widely believed by critics in social media that Yoon and his family are corrupt. His supporters claim that the allegations against him, his spouse and mother in law are politically motivated and unproven. The conservative mainstream media support him. His mother in law was recently sent to prison for a medical benefits fraud scheme after her first trial. The decision is being appealed.

Lee Nak-yon, is the centrist democratic candidate whose criticisms of former democratic Justice Minister Cho Guk (now subject to prosecution initiated and allegedly politically motivated by Yoon) has eroded his support somewhat inside the democratic party. Lee Nak-yon's expressed desire to pardon former presidents Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye, has also lessened his popular support recently. Choi Jae-hyung, who like Yoon Seok-yeol, held an important post in the democratic Moon Jae-in administration, is regarded as something as an opportunist now posing as a rock ribbed conservative. The presence of Yoon and Choi as PPP candidates is believed to reflect a weak conservative field of candidates. Party primaries initial and secondary, and party designations of their respective candidates have not taken place and won't be completed till fall 2021. The presidential election is scheduled for March 6, 2022.

August 7, 2021

죽창가 Bamboo Spear Song

The original poem is attributed to Kim Nam-ju ( 故 김남주 시인 ) according to an article in the International Newspaper July 16, 2019 shortly after the final episode of the dramatic series Noktu Flower ( 녹두꽃 ). Noktu Flower portrays the Tonghak reform movement in late 19th Century Chosun.*

* 조국 게재한 죽창가 가사 내용은? 정치권 의견 분분, 이영실 기자, 7.16.19 국제신문 ; http://www.kookje.co.kr/news2011/asp/newsbody.asp?code=0100&key=20190716.99099007677

This mountain village, soar together!
Let's become a flower. The flower
nurtured by falling tears and broken feet
let's become noktu flowers

This mountain valley all together take flight!
Lets become a bird. A bird
To north and south it cries,
Let's become the flying blue bird

This field alight together
Let's become a fire. A fire
burning plains lighting the darkness
Let's become the field afire

Let's do that, it's time for that
One more time, this village
Let's become a rebellion
Green pine green bamboo fixed in our heart
Let's become the bamboo spear

( 죽창가 / 김남주 시, 김경주 곡 )

I've taken a liberal rather than literal interpretation in order to convey the aesthetic and emotional appeal of the original in hangul. From watching the Noktu Flower drama series and learning from other sources about the period I tried to capture the spirit of the uprising's Bamboo Spear Hymn. The poem by Kim Nam-ju won a literary award in 1989. At some earlier point it was set to music by Kim Kyeong-ju, and sung by college students during the uprising against the Chun Du-hwan dictatorship. A song with similar imagery actually arose during the Tonghak rebellion period. There is an academic argument about the use of the symbolism of the "blue birds" as compared to the use of the symbol in '새야새야' ( Birds! Birds! )a folk song from the period in which the birds could be interpreted to symbolize invading foreign armies alighting on the mung bean (noktu) fields offending the spirit of the ancestors whose souls reside there to ward off the birds.* The seasonal coming and going of the birds takes a entirely different meaning in The Bamboo Spear Song.

*조국 수석의 '죽창가' 인용, 무엇이 문제란 말인가? 19.07.23 12:01l최종 업데이트 19.07.23 19:05l추준우 ; http://www.ohmynews.com/NWS_Web/View/at_pg.aspx?CNTN_CD=A0002555923

The poem and the song are politically controversial in the early stages of the current South Korean presidential political campaign. It is said by conservatives to represent "harmful" populist nationalism in South Korean politics. There is more on the historical background of the poem in the article at the link below:

https://civilizationdiscontents.blogspot.com/2021/08/bamboo-spear-song.html