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North Korean leader Kim Jong-un observes a factory operated by disabled military veterans

The Choson Sinbo, a newspaper published by the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon) that represents the North Korean position, reported on May 10 on Moon Jae-in’s election as President of South Korea.

While the report is not an official response from Pyongyang, it came unusually quickly in light of precedent. The report was published at around 9:10 am by the Choson Sinbo in an article on its online edition titled “Power of Candles Brings Change in Administrations.”

“Minjoo Party candidate Moon Jae-in was victorious in a presidential election held in South Korea on May 9,” it read, adding that the victory “brings an end to nine years of conservative administrations under Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye.” The report came a little over one hour after Moon officially began his term.

The newspaper went on to say the “snap election in May, which came seven months ahead of its original schedule, was the result of a candlelight revolution that drove out a corrupt administration.”

“After Park Geun-hye’s impeachment and ouster, the regime change represents yet another victory for the citizens who raised their candles and gathered in the public squares,” it continued.

Later that afternoon, the newspaper published an additional commentary in which it said the “candlelight spirit that aimed to drive out corrupt authorities and to clear away old vices and achieve new politics and a new society succeeded in electing the candidate from the largest opposition party as president.”

It also said the “newly launched Moon Jae-in administration will be united with the candlelight spirit to the end in the actions it must take to address the many vexing issues in its internal and foreign affairs and North-South relations and transforming the face of South Korean society.”

In the past, North Korea’s state-run media have typically only published brief reports on the outcome of South Korean presidential elections a day or two after the fact. In 2012, the Korean Central News Agency printed a one-sentence article late at night the day after the election of Park Geun-hye as president, mentioning neither her name nor her percentage of votes. The article was quoted by the Choson Sinbo the next day.

By Jung In-hwan, staff reporter

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