"The Ruling Party's Crushing Defeat Due to 'naeronambul'... Also Noted by US NYT"

NYT "Devastating Blow to President Moon"
On 'Naeronambul,' "A Cynical Expression of Progressive Behavior"

President Moon Jae-in is speaking at the Senior Secretary and Presidential Aide Meeting held at the Blue House on the 5th. / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] In the April 7 Seoul and Busan mayoral by-elections, opposition party candidates won by a large margin, and foreign media such as the US 'New York Times (NYT)' also gave significant coverage.

In particular, these media outlets cited the ruling Democratic Party's defeat due to failures in real estate policy and corruption among high-ranking officials, mentioning the term 'naeronambul' (double standards).

On the 7th (local time), the NYT described the by-elections as a "signal of change in South Korea's political landscape," reporting that "voters in South Korea's two major cities dealt a 'devastating blow' to their troubled leaders."

The outlet pointed out that "President Moon Jae-in's approval rating is plummeting, and his hallmark inter-Korean dialogue has become tattered." The NYT especially attributed the ruling party's crushing defeat about a year before the presidential election to failures in real estate policy and corruption among public officials.

Members of the Seongnam Residents' Solidarity are holding a press conference on the 8th in front of the fountain at Cheongwadae in Seoul, urging the dismantling of LH, the establishment of a new Housing Agency, and the formulation of fundamental measures for the homeless and the N-po generation. / Photo by Yonhap News

The NYT also noted, "Frustration among South Koreans has increased due to prolonged social distancing restrictions, economic downturn, and the government's failure to secure vaccines quickly," adding that "the Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) scandal and the so-called 'Cho Kuk scandal' dominated the election campaign."

The NYT introduced 'naeronambul' as a recent representative term of domestic society, explaining it as "meaning 'if they do it, it's romance; if others do it, it's an affair,'" and described it as "a cynical expression of the perception that President Moon's progressive aides' behavior is hypocritical."

Meanwhile, the US leading economic media 'The Wall Street Journal (WSJ)' reported that "Korean conservatives have made a comeback," noting that dissatisfaction over soaring real estate prices and the LH scandal has increased support for conservative parties in Korea.

There are also forecasts that South Korea's North Korea policy may become uncertain due to the election results. The UK economic media 'Financial Times (FT)' said on the same day, "The opposition dealt a direct blow ahead of next year's presidential election," and predicted that "President Moon's foreign policy has become uncertain due to the election outcome."