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Angry Voters

  The 20th Korean General Election was held on April 13 2016. As a result, the opposition party is now a majority. It was made again in 16 years. This comes from the public who felt dissatisfaction about the current regime and became angry, desiring the transfer of power from the old to the new. But who are the angry voters, and what made them angry?

 

Swing Voters

  When there are voters who are not certain about how they will vote, we call them swing voters. They don’t have a strong affiliation with any political party, so they rationally try to think who would benefit them most. This is well illustrated by the movie Swing Vote. Bud, in this film, was a slacker, with his only hobby being drinking. As the situation comes to its climax, Bud becomes the only person who can determine the outcome of the U.S. presidential election. He was a real swing voter and had a mind of his own, and so the movie showed us that such voters can play a big role in determining the outcomes of elections. The appearance of the term ‘swing voter’ reflects the public’s increasing interest in politics.

 

20th National General Election

  The outcome of the election came as a surprise to many. The main opposition party secured 123 seats, dominating the ruling party which secured 122 seats. That is, the majority party will change at the next assembly. Furthermore, a new third party has strengthened its position. This means that eligible voters did not cast their votes swallowing the regionalism which has arisen from historical tensions, but instead used rational thinking to decide which candidate would bring them the most benefit. The breakdown of the results an increased voter turnout, reaching 58%, compared with 54.2% in the last election. An increase in votes from the younger generation was significant: the increased turnout of those in their 20s and 30s was 5% and 8% respectively. As seen in this general election, the rise of young swing voters contributed greatly to the outcome. But why did the younger voters become swing voters? It's because they felt anger.

 

Voters Became Angry

  The fundamental reason why the main voters supported the opposition parties was that they were dissatisfied with the existing ruling party who didn't resolve socioeconomic problems that have plagued the public. Their anger and complaints are well illustrated by the newly-coined terms ‘Hell Joseon’ and ‘Spoon-Class Theory’.

 

Hell Joseon

  The term ‘Hell Joseon’ has been coined by the younger generations who criticise the current state of Korea (Joseon). They regard the country’s social problems a kind of ‘hell’. Youth unemployment rates have risen and reached nearly 10%, suicide rates are the highest among the OECD countries, and government labour policies are considered to be regressive. Thus, it is the pressures of Korean society and the perceived irrationality of the government that has caused the anger among younger voters.

 

Spoon-Class Theory

  The ‘Spoon-Class Theory’ defines the new kind of social hierarchy that has emerged. The theory assumes that each person’s life is determined by their parents' assets, and then classifies individuals based on this. This encourages a quite pessimistic view, but is a way of criticising a society in which one cannot easily progress from a humble background.

 

  Based on an internet survey, the media reported that 88% of total respondents (21,319) said that they wanted to leave Korea, and the main reason (46%) was their distrust in the current government. As shown through the new terms ‘Hell Joseon’ and ‘Spoon-Class Theory, there are signs of growing disaffection amongst voters. Public opinion, in turn, is bringing about a change of regime.

 

Global Trends of Angry Voters

Spain

  After the Spanish General Election of December 20 2015, the country’s two-party system, which  had existed for about 30 years, collapsed. The result of the last election was due to the major disagreements between the Partido Popular and Partido Socialista Obrero Español parties, which first occurred four years ago. Currently, nobody can easily say who’s holding the initiative, since support rates for the more recently formed Podemos and Ciudadanos parties have increased. Corrupt authorities, high levels of unemployment, and other social troubles have played a significant role in changing Spain’s political landscape. Pablo Iglesias, the Secretary General of Podemos, has highlighted how the Spanish public is now teaching politicians what democracy really is.

 

United States of America

  Meanwhile, in the United States, the presidential race between the Republicans and Democrats is a big issue. Both Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders seemed unlikely presidential candidates for their respective parties. But within months they were shaking American politics by receiving large numbers of votes. Having suffered from extreme economic polarisation, and being frustrated with the faults of existing politicians, many voters cast their votes for these apparent outsiders. Both candidates follows public opinion than the more traditional character of their parties, so they received huge support. Donald Trump has all but secured is position as the Republican presidential nominee, while Bernie Sanders eventually succumbed to Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination.

 

  This trend of angry voters has also recently appeared in another countries, including Germany, Italy, France, and Brazil, which means that more citizens all over the globe are now actively participating in politics and expressing their dissatisfaction with older political systems. 

ÀÌÁØ  junei95@naver.com

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