It was going to take something out of the ordinary to overshadow last Friday's impeachment of Han Duck-soo, the second South Korean leader to be removed from office by parliament in a fortnight.
Last Sunday, the country was forced to confront the horrifying sight of a passenger aircraft careering along the tarmac before smashing into a wall and bursting into flames, killing at least 179 of the 181 people onboard.
The two events that will come to define 2024 for a country hitherto celebrated for its economic and cultural prowess are unrelated, of course, but it is impossible to ignore the political backdrop to last Sunday's tragedy on the runway at Muan international airport.
The incident has highlighted the potential risks posed to disaster response by instability at the highest level of government.
There were encouraging signs in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy. South Korea's rival political parties launched separate initiatives in response to the disaster, apparently setting aside the animosity of recent weeks.
The opposition Democratic party leader, Lee Jae-myung, travelled to Muan to support rescue efforts.
The ruling People Power party, meanwhile, formed a taskforce focused on investigating the crash and supporting victims' families.
Bu hikaye The Guardian Weekly dergisinin January 03, 2025 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye The Guardian Weekly dergisinin January 03, 2025 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
No 298 Bean, cabbage and coconut-milk soup
Deep, sweet heat. A soup that soothes and invigorates simultaneously.
Cottage cheese goes viral: in reluctant praise of a food trend
I was asked recently which food trends I think will take over in 2025.
I'm worried that my teenage son is in a toxic relationship
A year ago, our almost 18-year-old son began seeing a girl, who is a year older than him and is his first \"real\" girlfriend.
BOOKS OF THE MONTH
A roundup of the best recent science fiction, fantasy and horror
Dying words
The Nobel prize winner explores the moment of death and beyond in a probing tale of a fisher living in near solitude
Origin story
We homo sapiens evolved and succeeded when other hominins didn't-but now our expansionist drive is threatening the planet
Glad rags to riches
Sarcastic, self-aware and surprisingly sad, the first volume of Cher's extraordinary memoir mixes hard times with the high life
Sail of the century
Anenigmatic nautical radio bulletin first broadcast 100 years ago, the Shipping Forecast has beguiled and inspired poets, pop stars and listeners worldwide
How does it feel?
A Complete Unknown retells Bob Dylan's explosive rise, but it als resonates with today's toxic fame and politics. The creative team expl their process-and wha the singer made of it all
Jane Austen's enduring legacy lies in her relevance as a foil for modern mores
For some, it will be enough merely to re-read Persuasion, and thence to cry yet again at Captain Wentworth's declaration of utmost love for Anne Elliot.
