By Kim Tae-jong and Kang Shin-who
Staff Reporters
Elections are all about choosing leaders who voters think will benefit them. Tired of the ongoing economic slump, many Korean citizens welcomed the first black president of the United States in hopes that his presidency will help make them better off than they’ve been in recent years.
They long for a breeze of fresh change with the Barack Obama’s victory. The type of change depends on who you ask but all expatriates and Koreans want is a stronger economy.
``Barak Obama's victory is about `change’ and `hope’ for the future,’’ said Jeon So-hyun, 23, a graduate student of Ewha Womans University. ``Although he was a minority, he became the first African-American U.S president. This means anyone with potential and passion can become anything he dream of ― even the leader of one's country.’’
A lot of changes are expected with Obama's win.
``He could be the person who executes all these changes and if we were to elect McCain, I don't think the U.S. could progress into a better situation from what it is now because the economy is going down terribly, I don't agree with a lot of proposals by McCain,'' said Joana Kwon, a Korean-American from Los Angels. She is teaching English under the state-run program and voted in the recent election.
``I believe this election will make my generation known for changing the course of American history. Obama is a politician, but he is one that, if nothing else, inspires people to understand the world around them. I think that this kind of candidate is the right kind for America in this age. Obama is a representative of genuine hope,'' Alex, a 22 year-old college student, said.
Julie, 59, from the U.S. says, ``I have hope for positive policies in the economy, healthcare and many other sectors. Obama is probably the right and multi-skilled person in this situation.''
Many Koreans also hope Obama will perform some magic to pull them out of stock and mutual fund investment losses.
Song Ji-young, a 35 year-old hotelier, said, ``My equity fund is suffering a 50 percent fall due to the global financial crisis which is also largely caused by the U.S. I hope he will come up with solutions to overcome the current crisis and allow my fund to perform stronger.’’
However, she expressed concerns that Obama may not deliver on his promises, like President Lee Myung-bak, who has failed to keep promises of a stronger economy.
Many citizens also expected president-elect Obama to help boost the rights of minority groups in the U.S. and ease tension with North Korea.
``I think Obama will do a better job in terms of policies toward North Korea and have more patience than the Republicans,’’ Song said.
Kwon Sang-wook, a 31 year-old web designer, said, ``It’s really surprising that they elected the first black president in the U.S., which is dominated by conservatives. His election itself is a huge change.’’
Regarding the free trade agreement between the South and U.S., Kwon said, ``I hope Obama will lead positive changes for both countries.’’
They expect a shift to progressive and liberal from a conservative tone.
Kim Young-hee, 53, public servant, said, ``He is a young man who will be very progressive in his work. But I think he will come up with policies and measures to ease the opposition from conservatives.’’
As the first black president, he will also have the challenge of achieving harmony between white and black people, she said. ``There will be chaotic moments in the beginning but he will deal with it in a very smart way,’’ she said.
She expressed concerns over Obama’s protective trade policy. ``The only concern would be his protectionism in trade polices, as it could cause more trouble for our economy.’’
Some said Obama’s victory should be a catalyst for Korean society to embrace minority groups.
``I believe many minority groups of Koreans have hopes for change with Obama’s victory,’’ said Chang Seok-kyung, a graduate from a university in Cheongju in South Chungcheong Province. ``It remains to be seen how our conservative Lee Myung-bak administration will get along with a democrat like Obama.’’
Ryu Seo-hyun, a senior majoring in English language at Dongguk University in Seoul, said, ``I think it will make me free of suffering from an obsession to speak English like a white-American. Actually many people around me in Korea or in the United States always hope to speak like wealthy white American. I think it is a kind of illusion of the American dream’’. She added, ``Now, we can overcome our colonial inferiority mindset toward white Americans, and also we can change our fixed mentality of America. America is not a country of whites, and we can realize that through this election,’’