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Despite Korona’s situation, South Korea decided to hold elections in a new national assembly on Wednesday. When the vote count was done, Thae Yong-ho (55) was so happy that she cried.
With 58.4 percent of the votes in his constituency, Thae Yong-ho secured a seat as a popular elector in the country that he strongly suspected for many years.
He thus becomes the first North Korean defender to be directly elected to the National Assembly of South Korea.
– Many people gave me strength, took me by the hand, welcomed me and promised to vote for me, continued and thanked the voters in the prosperous Gangnam district of the capital, Seoul, for their trust.
Thae eliminated a highly experienced counterpart from the ruling party. He is followed by another defender, his compatriot Ji Seong-ho, who enters as a result of the equalization rules.
The highest who has jumped
As a longtime diplomat, Thae Yong-ho has long believed in leadership and the Communist Party in North Korea.
In 2016, he was Vice Ambassador at the North Korean Embassy in London. There, he is supposed to have a secret fund for North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
Thae began to analyze the conditions in his home country and described the conditions in which most Koreans live as “approximate slavery”.
When, along with his spouse and son on a trip, he chose to jump, Thae Yong-ho was the most important North Korean official to have made that decision.
He was classified as “human scum”, “criminal” and “sex offender” by the regime in his home country and accused of leaking secrets.
When he decided to run for election as a general in his new homeland, he did so to send a message to the elite of the old homeland.
“I want to tell you there is another way into the future,” he said.
Thae Yong Ho will now represent the capital of Seoul in the South Korean National Assembly.
Photo: Ed Jones / AFP
The deserter community was divided
Thae Yong-ho was a candidate for right-wing United Future.
– The conservative right-wing party that nominated him gave him Gangnam constituency. This is where the wealthiest people in the capital live, and where most normally support conservatives, Vladimir Tikhonov tells NRK.
He is a professor of Korean studies at the University of Oslo and has lived in South Korea for many years.
Acting President Moon Jae-in, who represents the Liberal Democratic Party, has invested heavily in improving relations with neighboring countries after taking office as president in 2017. He even comes from a family of North Korean buyers.
Critics have felt that the president’s policy towards North Korea has been unrealistic, and Tikhonov believes that Thae Yong-ho’s election can be read in this image.
– Defenders like Thae emphasize human rights violations and other problems in North Korea. It thus becomes an important card that can be used in the propaganda war against the liberal government, says Tikhonov.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in received high praise for the country’s crown administration and led the party to victory.
Photo: Yonhap News Agency / Reuters
He won the corona treatment
President Moon Jae-in and his government have also faced resistance due to weak economic growth in the country in recent years.
However, when yesterday’s vote counted, it was clear that the ruling party had won 163 of 300 seats in the National Assembly. And with that, an absolute majority secured for the first time in 12 years.
The renewed confidence is mainly due to the management of the coronavirus, according to those who follow South Korea’s policy.
South Korea came out quickly with extensive testing and strict infection control measures. Thus, the country has managed to limit the number of infected to around 11,000 people and the number of deaths is not more than 225 people.
The vote count was in line with the rest of the elections, characterized by a protection team.
Photo: Jung Yeon-je / AFP
Choice with plastic gloves and mouthwash
The elections in South Korea have been followed with enthusiasm, given that it is one of the first elections in the world during the current crown pandemic.
There were strict up-front requirements that both voters and election officials must wear mouthwash and plastic gloves. Before voters entered polling stations, everyone had to take their temperature. All those with fever were referred to vote in separate boxes, which were disinfected among each voter.
Despite strict precautions, attendance ended at 66 percent. It is the highest since 1992.
