South Korea Elects New President

[jimmy olsen]

I find it amazing some of the countries that have had a female head of government before the U.S.

South Korea obviously isn't as surprising as Pakistan, but gender relations here are still about 50 years behind the U.S.
http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/19/16019851-ex-military-rulers-daughter-voted-new-leader-of-south-korea

Ex-military ruler's daughter voted new leader of South Korea

Chung Sung-Jun / Getty Images

South Korea's first female leader, Park Geun-Hye.
By Julie Yoo, NBC News

Park Geun-hye, the daughter of a former military ruler became the South Korea's first female leader Wednesday, saying she would work to heal a divided society.

The 60-year old conservative, will return to the presidential palace in Seoul where she served as her father's first lady in the 1970s, after her mother was assassinated by a North Korean-backed gunman.

News agency Yonhap said the result could have profound impacts on the country's foreign policy, particularly with regard to its Communist neighbor, North Korea.

Park has said she would negotiate with Kim Jong-un, the youthful leader of North Korea who recently celebrated a year in office, but wants the South's isolated and impoverished neighbor to give up its nuclear weapons program as a precondition for aid, something Pyongyang has refused to do.
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With more than 88 percent of votes in the country's presidential election counted, Park led with 51.6 percent to 48 percent for her left-wing challenger, human rights lawyer Moon Jae-in, giving her an unassailable lead that forced Moon to concede.

PhotoBlog: South Korea elects its first female president

Her raucous, jubilant supporters braved sub-zero temperatures to chant her name and wave South Korean flags outside her house. When she reached her party headquarters, Park was greeted with shouts of "president".

An elated Park reached into the crowd to grasp hands of supporters wearing red scarves, her party's color.

"This is a victory brought by the people's hope for overcoming crisis and for economic recovery," she told supporters at a rally in central Seoul.

Park is unmarried and has no children, saying that her life will be devoted to her country.

The legacy of her father, Park Chung-hee, who ruled for 18 years and transformed the country from the ruins of the 1950-53 Korean War into an industrial power-house, still divides Koreans.

"I trust her. She will save our country," said Park Hye-sook, 67, who voted in an affluent Seoul district, earlier in the day.

[Habbaku]

Has South Korea had a black president yet?

[Phillip V]

Unfortunately, the United States has no daughters of former assassinated American dictators to run for President.

Caroline Kennedy came closest, but her U.S. Senate bid failed.

[jimmy olsen]

Has South Korea had a black president yet?

They don't have black people, but America does have women, so it's not a fair comparison.

[CountDeMoney]

Has South Korea had a black president yet?

Yeah, no shit.  Stick that in your pocket and smoke it, Seoul.

[Phillip V]

Has South Korea had a black president yet?

They don't have black people

That's because South Koreans hate black people.

[jimmy olsen]

Has South Korea had a black president yet?

They don't have black people

That's because South Koreans hate black people.

18th century Europeans hated black people too, but somehow they ended up with a whole lot of them in their colonies, so I'm going to have to go with geographic and historical realities being the reason why S. Korea doesn't have black people.

[Josquius]

I find it most amazing the daughter of the old dictator is not only is able to make a succesful career for herself but to have people vote for her to be president.

[Phillip V]

Does she have a boyfriend?

[Neil]

Has South Korea had a black president yet?

They don't have black people

That's because South Koreans hate black people.

Can you blame them?  Always rioting and smashing up their stores...

[Eddie Teach]

I find it amazing some of the countries that have had a female head of government before the U.S.

South Korea obviously isn't as surprising as Pakistan, but gender relations here are still about 50 years behind the U.S.

Not really the same when the woman is in there because a husband or father came before her.

[Valmy]

Yeah in these cases it is almost always a dynastic deal.

Jenna Bush has just a few years to become eligible.

[PDH]

Why does Tim hate America

[merithyn]

Yeah in these cases it is almost always a dynastic deal.

This is what I was thinking. Other than Margaret Thatcher, are there any women who came to power without a family history of male rulers?

[PDH]

Linda Lovelace?