AHN Cheol-soo joins YOON Suk-yeol

Last night, following the last presidential debate, AHN Cheol-soo decided to stop his campaign and give his full support to YOON Suk-yeol. Expected almost from the start*, this move was postponed until the last possible moment to mark AHN's ballot papers, even if voting has already started overseas.

"Ahn Cheol-soo and Yoon Seok-youl in joint presser to announce campaign merger" (20220303 - twitter.com/theseoulvillage/status/1499159949062017025 @theSeoulVillage)

AhnLab founder lifts YOON's candidacy on such key issues as innovation, economy, education, or health. Mostly, he brings guarantees about his capacity to unite around the center, and to mobilize younger generations.

A reluctant candidate and a mediocre campaigner, YOON hesitated a long time before joining the PPP, an irrelevant opposition party where he had to compose with obsolete paleo-conservatives on one extreme and aggressive young anti-feminists on the other: PARK Geun-hye supporters never forgave him his role in her imprisonment, and LEE Jun-seok excels at dragging his candidacy down. Today, YOON was obviously relieved to see AHN unlock the shackles and help him focus on what matters most to him: healing Korean democracy, starting with justice.

The first mission of the united ticket is to prevent LEE Jae-myung from reaching power. Protected by the government, the controversial populist was able to cruise during the campaign without fear of being investigated in the Daejang-dong scandal. And if the family of the women murdered by his nephew (whom he defended during the trial) sued him for dismissing the double murder as 'dating violence', this most Trumpian character played the clock by delaying his answers to the judge beyond the legal limits, pushing the next steps until after the elections. 

Imagine what this man could do if he reached presidency and enjoyed the total impunity created by the ruling party's most outrageous reform: the de facto end of oversight of the executive power and the creation of the highly controversial Corruption Investigation Office, which was instantly weaponized to harass YOON and to protect Cheong Wa Dae from embarrassing scandals.

On that one, MOON clearly insulted ROH Moo-hyun's memory: the late president, a man who genuinely cared for democracy and justice, would have been appalled by a move that also betrayed the spirit of 2016, when the population overwhelmingly called for a defense of both, and the respect of separation of powers.

Beyond LEE and Trump, I often make a parallel between Korea's ruling party and the US Republican party. Both have lost their way on what used to make them most respectable. Both need to lose in 2022 if they don't want to lose their souls. And both need to humbly return to the drawing board (preferably not to push for more gerrymandering or deceitful schemes).

It may sound indecent to talk about existential threat when thousands die in Ukraine under Russian aggression, but this time, Korea must get it right, and heal from its core. And its center.

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* and not even one year after AHN's merger with OH Se-hoon ("After OH Se-hoon's Hangang Renaissance, Who In 2022?")

A new mayor for Seoul, a new landscape for 2012

As expected, PARK Won-Soon won the 10.26 mayoral elections by a wide margin (53+/46+). Rival NA Kyung-won did close the gap following successful TV debates (see "Park-Na debate on KBS"), and she even took the lead in polls, but a scandal involving president LEE Myung-bak (suspicious conditions for land acquisition regarding his future residence and police staff) spectacularly inverted the trend, and a final push from PARK's sponsor AHN Cheol-soo buried all remaining hopes for NA, for whom PARK Geun-hye proved more a drag than a boost.

With both local candidates lacking OH Se-hoon's charisma and reach, Seoul served more than ever as a national test, the results confirming structural political divides between rich and poor districts, and between younger generations and older citizens.

At the national level, PARK Geun-hye definitely took her first major blow since the GNP leader and the founder of AhnLab are supposed to face each other for next year's presidential elections. A symbol of paleo-conservatism, PARK Chung-hee's daughter has been around for years without disclosing any sign of appetence for reform. A total newcomer in politics, AHN Cheol-soo has yet to prove his capacity to manage and reform an administration. His best card remains his Independant label : traditional parties have lost all appeal and particularly to the country's middle class and younger generations.

PARK Won-Soon won with the support of a liberal coalition but as an Independent. Focusing on the demolition of his predecessor's heritage or sterile witch huntings following the absurd battle for free lunches at school (see previous episodes) would pave the way for a noxious presidential campaign next year.

Seoul must remain on the positive path set by OH, who boosted the city's attractiveness at the global as well as at the local level : 78% of Seoulites feel they belong to the capital compared to only 65% in 2006.

The new mayor must now work on bringing all Seoulites together, confirming the city's positive evolutions, a setting an ambitious but sustainable vision for the future.


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Korean blitz : all bases loaded

The major blackout Korea just experienced may be the consequence of a hacking of KEPCO earlier this year. It also could be due to a simple bug.

I can't help but believe in the first scenario, which would cast yet another unsettling cloud over the country and its security.

Over the past few months, Korea has proven embarrassing vulnerabilities in strategic areas :
- conventional warfare : military / organizational fiascos following North Korean attacks (ie Yeonpyeong)
- hackings / suspicious blackouts at the core of vital networks : financial (ie banks), media / internet, air traffic, and now electricity...

So regardless of who is responsible here (incompetence) or there (most fingers pointing at North Korea or China), a malicious organization could completely incapacitate Korea within minutes without using any conventional weapon. Even if the aim is not an invasion per se (nor even a diversion preceding an invasion of say North Korea), this would definitely damage the reputation of Korea as an economic powerhouse.

With its drive, infrastructures and talents, Korea should be ahead of Israel in national security. KISA (Korea Information Security Agency) significantly improved its visibility, but the national culture remains focused on hardware.

Samsung has eventually understood it needed to evolve and change business models, but it took series of obvious wake up calls (ie Google wolfing down Motorola). The government will probably follow suit. And if spurs are needed, the potential candidacy of Ahn Cheol-soo at the 2012 presidential elections might help : the founder of antivirus specialist AhnLab has some credentials in the area.

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Wireless Korea

All Seoulites are used to this kind of bibimmyeon packs of wires floating over their heads in every street. They're part of the cityscape (I took this picture, titled 'Wireless Korea', back in 2003 near Hongdae), but also messy and potentially dangerous : electricity, FTTH, or cable TV run through them, and magpies often build their nests at key intersections, provoking the occasional fire or network collapse.

At long last, the city has decided to do something about it and to bury them underground, starting with Jangchung-dong (a hilly neighborhood hosting the circular indoor Jangchung Gymnasium at the feet of Shilla Hotel), and Dongjak-gu.

This 'software' approach could prolong the community-based 'human town concept'*, where pavements and green spaces tend to multiply, and closed walls to disappear.

Way to go... but considering Korea's unfathomable multilayer plug-ins / upgrades tradition, authorities would better make their brand new cable-ways easily accessible.

Speaking of local authorities : AhnLab founder Ahn Cheol-Soo declared his potential bid as an independent candidate for Seoul mayorship, instantly claiming the top spot in the polls (39.5%). I guess he'd have to beef up his V3 antivirus software against rampant corruption.

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* see "OH Se-hoon launches the "Seoul Human Town" concept"