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South Korea rebuts WSJ op-ed calling administration 'hard-left'
🇰🇷 South Korea /Elections & Politics

South Korea rebuts WSJ op-ed calling administration 'hard-left'

From Dong-A Ilbo · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • South Korea's presidential office refuted a Wall Street Journal op-ed that labeled the current administration as 'hard-left.'
  • The presidential office argued the column contained serious distortions and did not reflect the reality of South Korea.
  • The WSJ op-ed expressed concerns about the weakening of the South Korea-U.S. alliance under the current government.

South Korea's presidential office has strongly refuted a Wall Street Journal op-ed that characterized the current administration as 'hard-left' and expressed concerns about a weakening alliance with the United States. Choi Sung-ah, the presidential secretary for overseas media, submitted a counter-op-ed to the WSJ, stating the original column 'does not reflect the reality of South Korea' and 'risks undermining trust in one of America's closest allies.'

The column does not reflect the reality of South Korea and risks undermining trust in one of America's closest allies.

— Choi Sung-ahSouth Korea's presidential secretary for overseas media, refuting a Wall Street Journal op-ed.

The original op-ed, penned by Nicholas Eberstadt of the American Enterprise Institute and Lawrence Peck of the North Korea Freedom Coalition, claimed the current South Korean government's 'hard-left' stance was causing friction with the U.S. alliance. Choi countered this by highlighting South Korea's role as a 'model ally' contributing to U.S. industrial reconstruction through investment, enhancing bilateral technological competitiveness, and taking on greater responsibilities for joint defense.

South Korea has emerged as a model ally.

— Choi Sung-ahHighlighting South Korea's contributions to the U.S. alliance in her counter-op-ed.

Meanwhile, a separate report indicated that U.S. State Department officials met with a South Korean pastor who led a protest against the impeachment of former President Yoon Suk-yeol. Riley Walters, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, and Julie Turner, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary, met with Pastor Son Hyun-bo at his church in Busan. Discussions reportedly touched upon religious freedom concerns in South Korea, including proposed legislation to dissolve religious corporations and a comprehensive anti-discrimination bill.

We discussed issues that raise concerns about religious freedom in Korea.

— Son Young-kwangExplaining the meeting between U.S. State Department officials and Pastor Son Hyun-bo.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Dong-A Ilbo in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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