Whether or not you want to, I’m sure that all of you are hearing a lot about the election in the US! Tensions are really high and many people are very upset in the US right now. Even though I’m all the way across the world I’m still being affected by this political drama! To make it even more intense, during the last few weeks Korea has been embroiled in a huge political scandal!
Background:
The current president of South Korea is a woman named Park Geun-Hye (박근혜).
Park Geun-Hye is currently in the 4th year of her 5 year-long presidency. However, a couple weeks ago big news came out about a scandal involving her and her close friend Choi Soon-sil (취순실).
The Scandal:
The media went crazy when word got out that Choi Soon-sil had actually been significantly influencing Park Geun-Hye during her presidency. In fact, it is said that Choi Soon-sil was given access to many classified government documents and had even help write Park Geun-Hye’s speeches! Things got even more heated when it was announced that Choi Soon-sil was known to be a part of a shamanistic religious cult. People are very upset because they feel their country is being led by a shaman women that they don’t know and didn’t elect. In addition to these aligations, Choi has also been accused of using her influence with Park Geun-Hye to recieve bribes. She has also apparently embezzled money from several non-profit organizations.
The Aftermath:
Choi Soon-sil was out of the country when news broke out of the scandal. When she arrived back in the country, however, she was immediately arrested and an investigation is going on now. In addition, the president is being severely criticized and her approval rating has gone below 5% which is incredibly low! In addition, many government officials have resigned as a result of the scandal. For the past few weeks there have been non-stop protests in Seoul. One article said that over 100,000 people were gathered in Seoul to protest at one point (even one of my classmates went to protest)! Below are pictures of the protests – you can see people holding red signs saying “Park Geun-Hye resign” and the big blue and yellow sign says “Impeach Park Geun-Hye”.
Here’s a short video that shows just how many people were out protesting. It’s also actually quite beautiful – I hope you all can see it if you’re on the school tablets!
My Experience:
Honestly, it has been a little scary being in Korea during this time! While I haven’t really seen the impacts of the protesting due to the fact that I’m so far away from Seoul, the scandal has been a really hot topic. I don’t really know much about Korean politics but I’ve asked many of my Korean friends about the president and I’ve never heard anything good about her, even before the scandal. One of my friends told me that he thinks she has no skill for politics and is just kind of a puppet. When I asked my friends about what they think of the scandal one of them said, “I don’t need to watch dramas anymore. Real life is more exciting than the drama”. Yet even though my friends told me that most Koreans don’t approve of Park and even though there are thousands of protesters in Seoul, many of my friends do not think that Park will be impeached or step down. They said that no one has every been impeached in Korea and it’s kind of difficult so it seems unlikely. Because Park only has less than a year left in her term, many think that she will stay in office but just hand over a lot of her power to the Prime Minister… No matter what happens, it’s already been a bit of a roller coaster ride and I’m sure that there is only more drama to unfold! From what I’ve heard from my family, not much news of this has spread to the US yet. The other day though my mom posted this picture on my Facebook page taken from the Gazette Times!
Discussion:
- What are your thoughts on this scandal?
- How would you feel if you were in my place? Scared? Angry? Neither?
- Would you be surprised if something like this happened in America? How would you feel?
- Do you think that president Park will be or should be impeached?
Kim Dodds Reporting Live from Korea 
I think that this is confusing but important to uncover. I would exactly be sacared or angry, just worried. I wouldn’t be tha surprised if that happened in America because their have kready been conspiracy theories worst than that, they were fake but I wouldn’t be that surprising if something happened here. I don’t think president park should be impeached because there is less than a year left of her term and she should just let someone takeover some responsibilities.
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I know that I would also feel really upset if I found out somebody who the people did not vote for was helping run my country (for better or worse)! She is betraying a trust that was bestowed upon her and this will likely have many aftershocks for years to come including increased monitoring on who has access to top secret government records. I think if they did decide to impeach President Parks, it may lead to a great deal of confusion as they try to elect a new leader. Her actions are not justifiable but it will be interesting to see how this plays out.
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Hey., Kim. Sorry you had to be in Korea when this happened! I know I would be pretty freaked out myself! My thoughts on this scandal are that I think they were right to arrest that person (I don’t remember the name), however until they have enough evidence I don’t think people should make any final decisions about what to do about the president and her helper.
If I were in Korea when this happened, as mentioned above, I would be pretty freaked out. And I wouldn’t know what to think either. And possibly a little afraid.
If this happened in the US, I wouldn’t know what to think. Although I would try to learn more about the situation before coming to a final decision.
Just because someone was involved in a scandal doesn’t mean people have to question their integrity. Maybe Presisdent Park didn’t have anything to do with the scandal! If so then she would have been impeached for no reason. As mentioned before, I think they should gather as much evidence as possible before making a final decision.
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Hello, it’s Kelly! I would be pretty angry if this happened to us. As you probably know we just elected our president and it’s been pretty chaotic here too. If I was in your place I’d just be upset because it’s very unfair about what’s going on. I would not really be suprised because this has kind of already happened and it seems like something that would happen with our new president. I would and do feel very angry with what will or has already happened. I feel like there should be a deeper investigation on whether this scandall is actually true or not. If this scandall is true I feel she should be impeached, but it’s hard to say if she actually will be because there could be other people protesting for her to stay president because they might want her to. Hear from ya next week!
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Hya,
I think I would be a little shocked. I mean, if came to Korea and while I was there this whole scandal happened, I would be surprised! I might be a little scared about what would happen. I would be surprised if it happened in America, but I can definitely see it happening. (I don’t know if that makes sense) It just seems like something that would happen in one point in history. I don’t think she will be impeached but I think government officials will probably be keeping a closer eye on her. She will probably have some of her jobs handed over to other important people in the government.
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Wow, I haven’t heard anything about this but that definitely sounds confusing. I think that instead of being scared or angry, I would definitely have been shocked, even though I never really tend to know much about politics. I honestly feel like it wouldn’t be that shocking if something like this happened in America, because it’s already been crazy enough in the last couple of months. Although many people would probably like to see President Park be impeached, I think that might make even more chaos because some thing like that has never happened before, and because she only has less than a year left, it might be better to just have other people in the government get more of the power.
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This is dumb, why are so many politicians idiots and always able to be controlled it ticks me off. (Laughing) it’s just halarious to find that 2016 is just the year of political downfall, on the other hand I would be worried because if she hasn’t been ousted for presidency yet people might start riots and mabye hurting others. As I’ve said it’s the year of political downfall and no surprise if trump kills us all. One time one of my moms friends was told by someone unknown that not voting for trump is a unforgivable sin to God. That is why it would be no surprise if something like this would happen in America. I think it depends on the kind of government they have because in some the people chose and in others the government has shared power then there is communism. All I think is she needs out of there because her life might be in danger.
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Wow. Yeah I agree, this year is crazy. There have been a lot of protests here in Korea but luckily they’ve been incredibly peaceful so far
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Hey hey hey, thoughts about the scandal? It is just plain confusing!!! I wouldn’t really be scared or angry, but just surprised and frankly just shocked. I wouldn’t really be surprised if something like this happened in America, I mean now that I know that it went on in Korea, I feel like it could happen anywhere just like in Korea. I don’t think she should be impeached because she has just one year left in her term. Also, I have a question, how did you feel when you heard about the scandal? I mean I know you feel a bit scared and such, but what else is going through your head? Thanks for the post and I will type to you next week!!!
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Hi eve! Honestly, I was just dumbfounded. I couldn’t believe that it was real – it sounded like something out of a movie! I still can’t really believe it’s happening because I don’t live close to Seoul so I haven’t seen any of the protesting but it’s very interesting to hear my Korean friends talk about it!
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I think when a scandal happens anywhere people are scared. Mainly because they feel if the leader or potential leader gets in trouble it reflects inresponsiblity. If I were in your place I would feel scared and troubled. I would feel this because some protests can become riots like in Portland. If this happened in America I would feel scared and worried. I think she should be impressed by being fired or even arrested.
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Hey there!! It seems very confusing about what is happening, I wouldn’t know what I am feeling. If that happened here in the U.S. I would be a little shocked but mostly angry. It also seems pretty unfair. After the president came back from the country they just arrested her! I think that they should have done more investigating or asking done questions. It just has been pretty choaic all over the place. I knew it was pretty choaic here but I didn’t think it was over there. Now I sort of wonder what is happening in the other countries. Back to topic! I really don’t think she would be impeached, but I sure the government officials will probably keep an eye eye on her. Though I bet people might not be very happy if this happens, but she only has a year left. Also I have a question, what were you feeling when this happened? Can’t wait till the next post!!!!
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I was really just shocked too! I couldn’t believe that something so crazy was actually real! Luckily it hasn’t been to crazy at my school since I’m far away from Seoul but all my friends talk about it!
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I never pay attention to American politics, let slobs Korean politics, so I definitely hadn’t heard about this. I would probably be mad at her, for destabilizing the country. I don’t think protesting is the best way to show this, but as long as they aren’t harming other people I think it okay to protest up to a certain point. I don’t think this would be a surprise if this happened in America because it kind of already is. Nobody’s tried to impeach Trump yet, but there are a lot of protests going on in the big cities (not Corvallis). I think it will only make the country more unstable if they impeach her, so she should be left in office for now, especially since she only has a few more months. I do think that more power should be given to other political leaders while she is still in office though.
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Good thoughts Marla. I’ve heard a lot about the protests going on in the US. If you don’t think protesting is the best way to get your voice heard – what do you think people should do instead?
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I think that protesting is fine,as long as people aren’t breaking things or hurting other people. It’s a good way to let people know how you feel. I guess I just assumed that people were bring distructfull, because that’s what’s happening here. It can get annoying after a while though… Anyway, bye!
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I think this scandal isn’t that big of a deal to the point of protests in Seoul. If I was at your place I would feel neither scared or angry. If something like this happened in America I would be a little surprised, but not too much because two of our presidents have been impeached. I think that president park shouldn’t be impeached because she only has one more year in office.
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I don’t think this scandal is that much a big deal but if the country had been good for 5 years I think they should demote the ruler a replace it with that other person but I would be surprised if it happened in America becuase it probably has happened before we just don’t know about it
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I’m still a little confused on what the scandal is. I don’t think I would be scared if I was in Korea but I would be worried. I dont think that I would be that surprised if it happened in America because there are already protests and things like that now that trump has been elected
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Hmm… basically, people are upset because they elected someone they wanted to be president but in reality, their president was just a puppet – someone else was controlling most of her actions and had access to a lot of top secret information
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Oh and I don’t think that president Park should be impeached until this is proved because from what it sounds like this is not proved to be true it could be a total hoax.
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I think this whole thing is crazy and unjust and also kinda ironic because a bunch of weird things are going on with our government also.
If I was in your place I would feel slightly worried because when stuff goes down in politics stuff goes down in the outside world too.
Tbh I wouldn’t be surprised if something like this happened in America because let’s just say our government is going through a rough patch right now.
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My parents are pretty mad as well so I don not want to get on their bad side until all of this blows over. I would feel angry at Park for betrayal. I haven’t even voted for her friend(even if I could vote). She should be impeached and replaced with another person. The one more year that she has could make all the difference.
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My thoughts on this scandal are pretty upset because I can not believe someone in their 4th/5th term would be so unreliable. If I were in your place I would feel both very scared and angry I would feel scared because in a situation like this I would not know whats happening to country or if these riots would be violent. I would be angry because someone who I thought was taking good care of this country and was fairly voted in turns out to be fake. I would not be surprised something like this happened in america because Donald Trump was recently voted in and many think the votes were rigged. I think that president park shouldn’t be impeached yet but the case should be further looked into and if all of this accurate then she should be impeached.
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Hello again! I thin that this scandal is crazy! I can’t believe that this is happening. If I were you, I would probably be kind of scared, mainly because it is just that it seems so surprising. I wouldn’t really be that surprised if it happened in America. I guess I would just be okay, and not really care about it. I think that the president should be impeached for participating in this deed.
Bye!
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This scandal is just drama. I don’t think I would be scared if I were in your situation. I would mainly be shocked. After all, your country elected her. Your country is obviously going through a period of growth and a little drama. I don’t think she’ll get impeached because of her current situation in office. Many checks and balances have to be made when a president makes decisions, and her term is ending soon. I think people will get tired of protesting on something that is hard to control. It wouldn’t surprise me if it happened here in America. The current drama going on here in America is just like yours in Korea. A new president has been elected and not everyone is happy about it. Right now in America I don’t care about the protests about our new president. One person shouldn’t change their view of such an amazing country.
Cade B.
Mrs. Parrot P. 7
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I think that it is so crazy! If this happen in America, I would have been pretty upset. I watched the US presidential election, I when I found out who won president, I felt so… well I don’t want to tell anyone because I think that it is private. A lot of people are protesting and fighting in America, and I think that should STOP immediately. Can’t wait till the next post!
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I think that a scandal like this would be very unlikely to happen in America. In America, all politics is followed very closely by the media, and it would be impossible to have a scandal like this carry on for so long. Also, America’s presidents have their own officials to contact for help, it would probably not be allowed for them to use their friends to aid their presidency. In conclusion, i think that it would be very unlikely to have a scandal like this in America.
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It is scary that this is happening, but as long as it doesn’t impact your life TOO directly, it should be okay, right? It actually sounds like Oregon right now, mainly because of the protesting in Portland. Eesh. Except the person isn’t even president yet, and the lady has reigned for a while. That might be a little more severe, because they trusted her.
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Hey Kim!
My thoughts on this scandal are quite well rounded, as in I have many different takes on the matter at hand. Mainly, though, I think it is worrying to have a president incapable of making decisions, let alone good ones that are made logically and strategically for the good of Korea and its people. If I would be out in your position, I think at first I would be nervous, surrounded by so many angered civivilians, but after some contemplating, I’d take the perspective of that friend of yours and realize real life is much more exciting then a dramatic scandal, and thefor live by that. If this would happen in America, I would be a surprised. After all, I feel politics in America is more advanced, and taken much more seriously. I think that Park should, and will be impeached, for I believe that the government officials in Korea will gradually become overwhelmed by the protesters, and have Park impeached. Though, my only worry is that when Park is no longer president, who will be? If she was the best this country could get, how much better can the other candidates be?
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Excellent response Bianca! I think if park was impeached she would just be replaced by the Vice President…
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For me, I think protesting is fine. However, there is a HUGE difference between peace protesting and destroying stuff. Like in America, we elected Trump to be president, and saying that’s unfair is taking away the rights of others. Most of the protesters arrested in Portland, didn’t even vote. So why would you go out and cause chaos to something you had no say in. Ive heard from people that it’s rude to start talking about things you dont know the full facts on, and I totally agree. If you heard someone say “…Jamie is stupid…” you might not have heard the full sentence: Jamie is stupidly pretty!!! People nowadays are reading between the lines, when they should be reading EVERYTHING BEFORE JUDGING.
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Hello,
I might have been scared if I was a little closer to Seoul, but I don’t think I would be to worried if I was in your position. If I were there I might want to go to a protest, to see what it is like. The protests remind me of Portland protests about Trump, but I don’t think there will be a similar scandal any time soon. I think she will step down, because now all the people who dislike her have something big to accuse her of.
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Wowza! The scandal seems intense. I think I would be scared, but probably more worried than anything – and we have enough to worry about, what with the unrest in the U.S. and now abroad. Based on how closely the media follows the election results here in America, it would be easy for something like this to happen, and it sort of already has. The candidates for president this year both had scandals, which were magnified by the media following their every move. I believe that President Park should be impeached, but only if the Korean people want that (which it sounds like they do, %5 approval rating is unheard of), and if they follow the laws about impeachment. In America, if we end up with a bad president, we cry a river, build a bridge, and get over it – we simply wait for them to get out of office and elect someone better. In Korea, they should do the same, because a coup attempt could be catastrophic to any political unity they’ve got left.
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The scandal is scary cause the you can’t control the people that well if your government is having scandal going on. It is bad cause the people could change their minds from peaceful protest to more chaotic or violent protests. I don’t think she will be leader much longer since most of the people don’t trust her and think she is bad now that the scandal happened. I don’t think protesting is the best way they could handle the scandal.
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I would be a little scared if I were closer to Seoul but that is big, to figure out that your president isn’t doing there job. I don’t really think I would feel scared or angry about this. This happening in America wouldn’t really be surprising to me because of the storys I have heard about the protests over Trump. I don’t think that she should be impeach because then there could be even more chaos then there is now.
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