Seoul
Populist Roh Moo Hyun, 56, took office as South Korea’s youngest-ever president this week, with an ambitious, even radical agenda. He has said he wants to limit the power of the clannish, family-run corporate giants known as chaebol, promote full equality for women, and raise taxes on the rich. A former labor activist who never attended university, Roh often compares himself to another leader from a humble background—Abraham Lincoln. But it’s not clear how Roh will conduct relations with the U.S. While he distanced himself from the anti-American demonstrations of the campaign season, he also said South Korea’s alliance with the U.S. should be “rebalanced.” North Korea greeted Roh’s inauguration by testing a short-range missile.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
One great cookbook: Joshua McFadden’s ‘Six Seasons of Pasta’the week recommends The pasta you know and love. But ever so much better.
-
Scientists are worried about amoebasUnder the radar Small and very mighty
-
Buddhist monks’ US walk for peaceUnder the Radar Crowds have turned out on the roads from California to Washington and ‘millions are finding hope in their journey’
