Sea Change in Cyber Politics

Once again, South Korea has provided a valuable lesson in the changing
tides of time and the role of digital democracy in a wired society.  As
reported in this space, two years ago South Korea elected a virtual unknown,
Roh Moon Hyun, to the presidency, largely on the wings of an internet-based youth
movement outside the traditional parameters of party politics.

As is to be expected, the old guard of Korean politics, behind the long-ruling
Grand National Party and its corporate allies, fought back from their
traditional power base in the National Assembly and managed to impeach
Roh Moon Hyun, who was forced to cede power while the formal impeachment
process works its way through the courts.

Many observers felt this proved that although the cyber campaign had
managed to deliver Roh to power in an electoral fluke, the lack of connections
and support amoung the entrenched economic and media conglomerates made
it impossible for him to govern. Now, in a stunning reaffirmation that
the profound gernerational changes in the balance of power are more than
a passing phenomena, Roh’s party, the URI, has swept congressional elections
delivering an absolute majority in the new term which is expected to
return Roh to power as soon as next month.

American pundits who similarly see the Howard Dean phenomena as an abberation
rather than the first step in a transformative revolution should take
note – we ain’t seen nothing yet…

SEOUL — South Korean voters swept the Uri Party allied to impeached
President Roh Moon Hyun into power yesterday in key legislative elections.
The vote handed control of the National Assembly to a party whose top
leadership advocates rapprochement with North Korea and greater independence
from the United States, Seoul’s traditional ally.

from the Washington Post