On Tuesday, a South Korean court began the trial of the former president, park Geun-hye. Submitting a plea of not guilty to charges of bribery, leaking state secrets, and abusing state power, she potentially faces life in prison. The accusations raise concerns from many South Koreans who still remember the authoritarian governance that dominated the state until democratic reforms in 1987. And their concerns are far from unfounded. When politicians are able to become so disconnected to abandon ethics and responsibility, a government is failing.

Following Ms. Park’s removal, an election was held in which liberal Moon Jae-in won by a comfortable margin. He promises to be a starch difference to Ms. Park, hoping to thaw relations with North Korea while strengthening ties with both Washington and Bejing. In addition, his planned reforms for the economy aim to boost them from their current 5 year low. Currently, there is concern over President Trump’s stated intentions to make unspecified changes to the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement. If the United States loosens ties economically with South Korea, China could stand to gain from the high tech industry in South Korea.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-39996218?intlink_from_url=http://www.bbc.com/news/topics/68f68d12-c2d9-4173-9ed3-178363e46344/south-korea&link_location=live-reporting-story

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/articles/2017-05-08/south-koreas-new-president-will-face-challenges-from-all-directions