hankyoreh

the day after the presidential election. (by Lee Jeong-woo

By Heo Jae-hyun and Choi Yu-bin, staff reporters

Supporters of Moon Jae-in grappled on Dec. 19 with the shock of the Democratic United Party candidate’s defeat in the presidential election the previous day, but messages of comfort and hope quickly began surfacing both online and off.

Popular Twitter user, writer Lee Oi-soo took to Twitter to send his own message of solace to Moon supporters.

“Now is the time to be genuine,” he tweeted. “If someone won, there’s a reason for it. The same is true for the one who lost. Everyone worked so hard. I hope to see a great Korea.”

Cartoonist Gang Pul asked Moon supporters to “let go of the defeatism.”

Psychologist Jeong Hye-sin, who runs the Warak psychotherapy center and appeared in TV commercials on behalf on Moon’s campaign, was also out on Twitter urging supporters to take heart.

“I know you’re very angry, and even more disappointed,” she wrote. “A lot of people talk about ‘mental collapse,’ but we don’t break down that easily.”

Shim Yeong-seop, a film critic and professor of counseling psychology at Daegu Cyber University, tweeted a quote from Austrian psychology and concentration camp survivor Viktor Frankl reading, “Suffering ceases to be suffering as soon as we form a clear and precise picture of it.”

“As we face the pain of defeat, we still have to ask questions and fight injustice,” Shim wrote. “Let us be strong. History has always been made by us people, and it will always be.”

Pyo Chang-won, a Korean National Police University professor who resigned to demand an investigation into election interference by National Intelligence Service employees, consoled citizens with free hugs Dec. 20 alongside pro wrestler Kim Nam-hoon at Seoul’s Gwanghwamun Square. Many of the people he embraced gave tearful words of encouragement to each other.

Actor Kim Yeo-jin, who had given emotional TV speeches in support of Moon, tweeted that it was “wonderful” to see pictures of Pyo’s hugs.

“I can’t help feeling down and depressed, but I’m going to take my time and look at things again,” she wrote.

Moon supporters expressed disappointment as they returned to work the day after the election, but they also looked for the silver lining.

“It’s disappointing that my candidate didn’t get elected,” admitted a 28-year-old publishing worker identified by the surname Choe. “But I re-read Park Geun-hye’s pledge this morning and took comfort in the fact that things wouldn’t be bad if she just keeps those promises.”

Kim, 29, a worker at an electronics company, admitted feeling psychologically frazzled, but said younger co-workers got together to make a promise: “In five years, we’re going to go to work on persuading our parents first, not our friends.”

Many supporters suggested meeting up to share messages of comfort.

“Anyone who is feeling overwhelmed by the election result is invited to come on Dec. 20 for CPR at Miri Christmas, Banollim’s candlelight festival in front of Gangnam Station, Exit 8,” wrote Gong-Yu Jeong-ok, a doctor with Banollim, a group working for the health rights of semiconductor workers.

No Jong-myeon, a journalist dismissed from the YTN network, also sent a message to members of his Twitter group inviting them to an impromptu “healing gathering” on Dec. 27.

“It’s tough, but we’re in Season 2 now,” he wrote.

staff photographer)

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