Angered by media bias, older Koreans emerge as new, pro-U.S. political force

by WorldTribune Staff, March 23, 2017

Impeached President Park Geun-Hye was a victim of “mob justice” fueled by an antagonistic liberal media in South Korea, Park’s supporters say.

“Socrates was put to death, and Jesus crucified, in mob trials,” one of Park’s lawyer, Seo Seok-Gu, told the Constitutional Court, denouncing the National Assembly’s vote to impeach Park and criticizing local news coverage of the corruption scandal that engulfed her, The New York Times reported.

Supporters of South Korean President Park Geun-Hye at a rally in Seoul on March 10. /AP

Seo argued that the anti-Park rallies had been organized by communists who sympathize with North Korea, a belief held by some of the president’s older, conservative supporters. “Their candlelight protests didn’t reflect the true sentiments of the people,” he said.

“Our democracy is in danger because of so-called majority opinion instigated through demagogy,” Seo said.

Pro-U.S. conservatives in the South who rallied behind Park in growing numbers during the trial, said their cause was virtually ignored by the domestic liberal media, which they say was anti-Park.

The narrative repeated daily by South Korea’s dominant media portrayed anti-Park rallies as inspired by “righteous indignation and disappointment,” while pro-Park rallies were driven by fear according to am assessment of South Korean media reports by the Daily Caller.

Park Min-Ho, a 72-year-old Vietnam War veteran who supported the impeached president, said: “The U.S. is protecting us. Without the U.S., North Korea could have unified the two Koreas under communist rule.” The veteran added that flying the U.S. flag at pro-Park rallies highlighted the strength of the U.S.-South Korean alliance.

Park is the first president in South Korea to not finish a full term since the country became a democracy.

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