 |
| Korea.net Honorary Reporter Majid Mustaq learns how polling stations move inwards Korea on May 9. (Majid Mushtaq) |
By Korea.net Honorary Reporter Majid Mushtaq
An election is i of those things that activates each together with every citizen of a province together with spreads patriotism all around. Since childhood, I've ever solely seen elections inwards my ain country, but this twelvemonth was the kickoff fourth dimension I was experiencing an election inwards some other country. Although I'm non a citizen of Korea together with I don’t direct keep the correct to vote here, I was notwithstanding real excited together with concerned well-nigh the election results, only equally whatever citizen would be. There were ii primary reasons behind this.
First of all, since I telephone phone Korea my 2nd home, apart from the culture, I direct keep a huge involvement inwards Korean politics together with its economy. Secondly, these elections were possibly the most of import elections inwards Korean history. After having a difficult fourth dimension since concluding year, citizens were looking for novel hope: a president that could unify a bruised country. Now, the elections are over, but I wanted to write an article well-nigh the amazing things that Koreans taught the globe through these peaceful elections.
Almost a calendar month ago, earlier election day, I was seeing posters of all the candidates throughout the cities, which were all posted yesteryear the National Election Commission (NEC). It was quite a unique thing for me to run into pictures of all the candidates together, equally dorsum inwards my province it's impossible to detect pictures of the competitor candidates together.
Another interesting thing to me was the assignment of numbers to each candidate. There were xv candidates contesting for the presidential seat, together with each candidate was assigned a unique number. Back inwards Pakistan, India, Arab countries together with most parts of the world, each candidate has a unique election sign, slogan or symbol, similar inwards the representative of Pakistan, each candidate has a sign similar a lion, a football, a cricket bat or an arrow.
One of the things that I volition ever appreciate well-nigh Korean elections is that the elections were then peaceful together with calm. I never saw people protesting, organizing big rallies that disturbs the mutual man, or mocking other parties’ candidates.
I was peculiarly amazed to run into that most people didn’t openly tell others equally to which candidate they would support. I retrieve I asked my professor equally to which candidate he would support, together with his respond was, “It’s a vote, then it needs to live on secret.” I got the same respond from most of my friends. That’s such a beautiful thing I learnt from Koreans through this elections.
Abraham Lincoln i time said, “The ballot is stronger than the bullet,” then having the correct to vote is a ability that people occupation to shape their country’s future. May nine was election day, the 24-hour interval I had been waiting for, for then long, similar the citizens of this beautiful country.
Although it was raining heavily, the province saw a tape voter turnout of 77 percent. Koreans, again, were telling the globe that no thing what adversities it faced, i has to occupation their ability of the vote to practise a improve future.
 |
| Korea.net Honorary Reporter Majid Mushtaq visits a polling station inwards Korea to larn to a greater extent than well-nigh presidential elections, on May 9. (Majid Mushtaq) |
I wanted to run into how the polling booths move inwards Korea, then I picked upwards my umbrella together with headed over to the nearest polling station.
When I arrived, the staff was sort of amazed to run into a visibly non-Korean someone at their polling station. Thinking that I mightiness live on a naturalized Korean citizen or something, i of them asked if I had Korean nationality. I said no alongside a niggling smiling together with told them that I was a pupil hither who came to run into how polling industrial plant inwards Korea.
The 2nd they heard that, they were all glad together with started to exhibit me some together with explaining each together with every pace of how to vote. They showed me the postage stamp that Koreans grade on their hands later on casting a vote. I was then excited, I asked if I could direct keep a postage stamp on my ain hand. I couldn’t command my happiness when they said yes! Counting my dearest for Korea, I wanted to grade those stamps on my whole arm together with face! However, that would await awkward, then I pose i postage stamp on my mitt together with i on i of my draw organisation cards.
 |
After people cast their ballot, they acquire a postage stamp on their mitt to exhibit they voted. (Majid Mushtaq) |
After getting all the data I could, I was well-nigh to tell goodbye to them when i of them gave me some pocket-size gifts together with some candy. To live on honest, I've been to polling stations a few times inwards my life, but those moments at a polling station inwards Korea were some moments that I tin flame never forget.
Apart from showing the globe how republic is done, Koreans took the election coverage to some other level, too. Election nighttime is a fourth dimension when every citizen is nervous, biting their nails piece waiting for the results, but that’s non the representative inwards Korea. Korean intelligence channels invented novel ways of showing poling results, using CGI graphics depicting presidential candidates doing all mode of fundamentally goofy things.
No thing if you're a fan of "Game of Thrones" or not, or whether or non you lot similar to play Pokemon Go, you lot were able to run into your candidates on TV animated to await similar your favorite characters from those TV shows or video games.
Election results were announced belatedly at night, together with the people’s favorite, Luna Jae-in, won the election alongside 41.1 per centum of the votes. It was a landslide victory together with the celebrations began across the country. During his kickoff address, President Luna said that he would live on a “president for everyone” together with that he would serve the entire country, fifty-fifty if some people hadn’t voted for him.
 |
| President Luna Jae-in waves to his supporters on May nine later on he was formally declared the winner of the presidential election. (Yonhap News) |
Although the elections are right away over, Koreans direct keep genuinely showed the globe how republic is done, together with they direct keep prepare Korea equally a purpose model for the world. There is much, much to larn from these elections for developing countries together with developed countries alike. I'm happy I was able to witness first-hand together with that I was business office of these remarkable elections. I volition accept dorsum the lessons I learnt hither together with the beautiful memories alongside me when I become dorsum to my abode country.
Korea actually is my 2nd home, together with to give cheers its people together with to exhibit how much I dearest this province together with its people, we've made a pocket-size video.
You tin flame sentry it here:
wisdom117@Korea.kr
Sumber http://koreanetblog.blogspot.com/