Written by HyunCheon Kim / Translated by SeungYun Woo


As Park Geun-hye was recently elected as the 18th President of South Korea, Koreans in Boston started to show a mixed reaction. Some were joyful and others were disappointed.

In Boston, most of the older generation, above 50, appeared to support Park, view her with positively, and have high expectations of the new government of South Korea. Also, since they participated in the first overseas Korean election, they have been showing great interest in the election.

Han-sun Yu, the president of the Korean Society of New England (KSNE), said, “For the first time in South Korean history, as Park was elected with more than 50% of the vote, she became a true representative of the people.”

Also, some people had a positive reaction especially to the fact that the president-elect is a female, thinking not only of the gentle and unifying impression that a female president gives, but also that she will lead very active politics.

Yoo-taek Lee, Professor of Business Administration at Boston University, said, “Park, as the first female president in South Korean history, needs to comfort people’s past wounds and pains with a warm heart. Also, I’m expecting to see some kind of female leadership that will patiently create a new leap to the future by planning and developing together.”

Moreover, housewives showed great satisfaction about the first female president-elect as well.
“I wish Park Geun-hye, as the first female president of South Korea, to keep her election pledge, ‘Grand Unity of Nations’, and make desirable changes to politics, society and many other parts,” said Young-ju Kim, a housewife resident of Brookline

On the other hand, Korean international students and the generation of people in their 30s and 40s were quite disappointed that their desire for a new style of politics and transfer of government was not fulfilled. However, they soon accepted the result that was decided by mostKoreans, and realized that tomorrow is more important than today.

Han-soo Lee, a Boston office worker in his late 30s, said, “Last night, when I heard the news that the turnout was 75%, I was very certain of Moon Jae In’s victory and I tried to sleep. However, I woke up next morning and I was at a loss for words after seeing the definite difference between Park and Moon’s number of votes. I just wish President Park will manage the government well.”

Also, an international student, Park, who continuously watched the presidential debate, said, “I was a little worried when I heard the final result but now I wish President Park will succeed. I think my duty as a Korean is to support her well, since it’s just the beginning.”

Another international student, Min-suk Cho, who reported that many criticisms of Candidate Park were spread through SNS during the election, said, “I hope President Park can recover throughout the term from what she was criticized for from young people in their 20s.”

The followings are the responses of Koreans in Boston.
Jun-young Choi (41thPresident of Korean-American Scientists and Engineers Association: New England Branch)
Surrounded by an environment of rapidly changing scientific technology, our hopes rely on the innovative idea. I wish for a further developed business environment where young Korean scientific technicians, with creativity and scientific skills, can fairly compete with big companies in Korea and also foreign businesses by developing an entrepreneurial spirit without fear of failure.

Hyung-goo Cho (President of the Korean Olympic Committee)
National security was the problem that I have been worrying about since before the election, but I felt easy after Park Geun-hye was elected. In the past, the Sunshine Policy of the governments under Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun was certainly the policy that respects the human rights of North Korea; however, it did not give any benefit to South Korean nations. From now on, President Park, while completing her election promises, should clearly handle the national security problem by tolerating the Democratic United Party.

[email protected]

ⓒ 보스톤코리아(http://www.bostonkorea.com), 무단전재 및 재배포 금지