Will Moon’s South Korean charm offensive spread North?

Fawning media coverage has made the South Korean leader more popular than ever, but critics fear there is a dark side to Moon Jae-in – his snuggling up to North Korea

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South Korean President Moon Jae-In, centre, leaves after giving a speech at the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea. Photo; EPA

David Josef Volodzko

Published: 10:00am, 24 Jun 2017Updated: 10:00am, 24 Jun 2017

South Korea’s new president has the sort of fanbase one usually associates with K-pop idols, film stars and athletes.

After the largest demonstrations in Korean history led to the removal of his predecessor, Park Geun-hye, on charges of bribery and abuse of power, Moon Jae-in was elected on May 9 with the widest margin of any previous president – 5.57 million votes. His approval ratings have since soared to heights usually enjoyed by wartime leaders such as US presidents Harry Truman, George W. Bush, John F. Kennedy and Franklin Delano Roosevelt – and despots such as Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Former South Korean president Park Geun Hye is taken to the Seoul Central District Court to attend a court hearing over a string of allegations, including bribery and abuse of power. Photo: Kyodo

In March 2016, The Washington Post ran a story describing Putin’s 83 per cent approval rating as “jaw-droppingly high”. Last month, Moon’s hit 84.1 per cent.

Critics say Korean media have been undeservedly kind to Moon. “After more than a month, I think it’s time for the media to call time on the honeymoon and get to reporting on the administration properly,” said John Power, a former journalist with the Korea Herald. “The fawning coverage is way over the top.”

Such coverage includes stories about how attractive his bodyguard is, how cute his pets are, how popular his jacket is, that he held a meeting without wearing a jacket or even that he sometimes eats a cheap lunch.