South Korea: Yoon Suk-yeol, next president, a K-Trump?

Yoon Suk-yeol, the presidential candidate of the main opposition People Power Party who was elected South Korea's new president on Thursday, holds bouquets as he is congratulated by party members and lawmakers at the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, March 10, 2022. AP - Lee Jin-man

Text by: Nicolas Rocca Follow

5 mins

The South Korean presidential election delivered its verdict late at night on March 10, and it is the conservative candidate who is named successor to Moon Jae-in.

With less than a point ahead of his Democratic competitor Lee Jae-myung, Yoon Suk-yeol wins in the tightest ballot in South Korea's history.

Lightning political career, conservative program and controversial personality, portrait of the man who is sometimes nicknamed the “Korean Donald Trump”.

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From our correspondent in Seoul,

Yoon Suk-yeol will have taken a little less than a year to conquer power.

It thus allows the South Korean right to return to business, only five years after the dismissal of

, carried away by the large anti-corruption demonstrations demanding his departure.

rapid ascent

Until 2016, Yoon did not exist in the South Korean political landscape.

A law graduate from the prestigious Seoul National University, he became a prosecutor and specialized in corruption cases, particularly those concerning ex-president

, who is now in prison.

Paradoxically, it was the investigation of Park Geun-hye, the country's conservative leader, that gave her national fame.

Accused of abuse of power and embezzlement in a vast corruption scandal involving many leaders of

s (conglomerates such as Samsung or Hyundai), she will be sentenced to 32 years in prison before being pardoned this winter.

Who is Yoon Suk-yeol, the next president of South Korea?

Economic liberalization, firmness with North Korea, populism and anti-feminism.

Short thread on a prosecutor who became president in less than a year.

pic.twitter.com/xGF9v5ETzN

— Nicolas Rocca (@lenicorocca) March 10, 2022

Yoon plays a central role in the investigation and President Moon Jae-in decides to appoint him attorney general, against the advice of the conservatives.

Once in place, Yoon Suk-yeol quickly became a problem for the majority and an opposition figure in public opinion.

He investigates many members of the Democratic Party and manages to bring down a Minister of Justice who allegedly falsified documents for his daughter to enter university.

In open conflict with President Moon, he left office in March to prepare for his campaign.

Controversial campaign

"Monsieur a blunder a day", is the nickname inherited by this poor speaker during a campaign decried for his low level.

The two favorites appear in different cases and Yoon and his wife are notably accused of shamanic belief on several occasions.

But the candidate is also talked about for his controversial positions on a former dictator, on the

on foreigners and on women.

A rhetoric reminiscent of that of a former American president, and the candidate has even erected anti-feminism as a campaign strategy.

“ 

explains Kim Hyun-soo, professor of sociology at Ewha University.

 Many young South Korean men feel that their social status

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feminists speak out against sexist remarks and behavior in the presidential campaign

The Economist's "glass ceiling" index, which measures the evolution of the influence and role of women in the economy of OECD countries, between 2016-2021.

Sweden, Iceland, Finland and Norway at the top in 2021. Japan and South Korea last.

1/ #IDW2022 pic.twitter.com/kIen5aGApI

— Etienne Leblanc (@leblancetienne) March 8, 2022

Aware of this electoral potential, the candidate assures that there is no “ 

 ” in South Korea, although women receive a salary lower than men by 34.6%.

The worst gap in the entire OECD.

Ditto on the question of the low birth rate for which he attributes the responsibility to feminists.

This fierce desire to attack women's rights, he transposed it into proposals such as that of increasing penalties for slanderous denunciation of sexual assault or the abolition of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. .

This reform is often compared to the wall between Mexico and the United States promised by Donald Trump.

Program far right

“ 

, judge Park Sang-in, professor of economic governance at Seoul National University.

 ".

Real estate has been the central theme of this presidential race, and one of the reasons Yoon rises to power.

Faced with the explosion of housing prices in South Korea (multiplied by two in Seoul during Moon's mandate), his policy of lowering property taxes has increased his popularity.

He also claims to want to make the labor market more flexible by lowering the minimum wage and increasing the legal working hours, currently 52 hours a week.

A speech tailor-made for an aging South Korean electorate.

Members of the media raise their hands to ask questions as South Korea's President-elect Yoon Suk Yeol, top right, holds a press conference at the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea, on Thursday, March 10, 2022. AP - Kim Hong-ji

A tough talk with the northern neighbor

Ditto for his approach to inter-Korean relations, " 

 ," said Go Myung-hyun, a researcher at the Asan Institute.

The one who will be officially invested in the presidency on May 10 assures that "preventive strikes" on the North Korean neighbor, would make it possible to "preserve peace".

Light years away from the continuous desire for dialogue maintained by Moon until the twilight of his five-year term.

A supporter of a rapprochement with the United States, Yoon claims to be ready to oppose more head-on China, yet the main economic partner of the country he is about to lead.

His risky statements, his controversial personality, as well as the obvious political parallels with the former tenant of the White House, were enough for many observers to give him the nickname "Korean Trump".

After K-Pop, K-Drama or K-Beauty, some claim that the country has a K-Trump.

A tribute to this South Korean desire to preface any successful local production with the letter K.  

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• South Korea

• North Korea

• Park Geun-hye

• Moon Jae-in