S. KOREA PREPARES FOR PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

Hope your workweek is off to a good start.

It's Monday April 7th here in Seoul and you're watching Press Perspective.

I'm Min Sunhee.

Come early summer this year South Korea will have a new leadership at the top office after the strength of its democracy went on full display last week according to a number of foreign media outlets.

For more I have Chloe Borgnon with French broadcaster France 24

Chloe it's great to have you here.

I also have Thomas Maresca with American news agency UPI.

Thomas welcome back.

1) Thomas, you also covered the Constitutional Court's verdict to uphold the presidential impeachment last Friday.

Quite a number of foreign media outlets are linking this latest development to South Korea's democratic resilience.

What more can you tell us about this perspective among the foreign press?

2) Chloe, the decision to uphold the presidential impeachment was unanimous.

What are the broader implications of this reality according to the foreign press?

3) Thomas, Korea needs to hold an election within two months.

What is the latest with regard to a potential date and related preparations by rival political parties?

4) Chloe, Reuters published a piece about the top contenders for the early presidential election with focus on six political figures.

Let's go over the first three potential candidates: Lee Jae-myung, Han Dong-hoon, and Kim Moon-soo.

For the sake of our viewers who may not be familiar with these figures, do tell us a bit about them as shared by Reuters.

5) And now Thomas, do tell us a bit about the final three contenders: Oh Se-hoon, Hong Joon-pyo, and Kim Dong-yeon .

6) Chloe, foreign press members say Yoon leaves behind a deeply divided country.

Do you suppose the election will serve to start the healing process?

7) Thomas, what do you believe will be some of the urgent tasks for the next president of South Korea?

8) Chloe, in hindsight, what are the lessons to be learnt from the latest political developments here in Korea starting early last December?

9) And Thomas, what do you suppose may be the lessons to be learnt?