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"Every South Korean president who has served a prison sentence has ultimately been pardoned."
On top level it is refreshing that there are still democratic countries in the world where the politicians are kept responsible for there decisions. We could have good use for a portion of this attitude in the western hemisphere too..
The ROK is deeply anti-democratic, and is run by 3 companies in a trenchcoat and the families that own them, called 재벌 (chaebol). That said, the ROK has a history of strong, fierce struggle as a result of such a striated society, meaning despite having many dictators, many of these are actually punished for their crimes, or are coup'd. What the west can learn from the ROK isn't the idea of "democracy," such can be learnt better from countries like Cuba or China, but instead the fierce resistance of the working classes in their constant struggle for better.
Even the 재별 stocks go up and down based on negotiation results with workers and the heads are still somewhat responsible for their actions (nut rage lady?) so I'd take that over nothing. I agree things could be improved further in some aspects but there are solid foundations to work on here.
The foundations do not exist within the ROK, but the spirit of resistance common to Korean history over the last century and a half. The ROK as a permanently colonized millitary base for the US Empire, where the former compradors for Japanese colonialism were given high positions of power in the new ROK government after dissolving the PRK, results in extreme tension, instability, and heightened contradictions.
The US Empire must leave the peninsula.
How is the ROK not part of the West if it is a US colony?
Ideology wise I'd consider it as western but not what usually is associated with "The West™" in geographical means.
Suk for him, I guess.