London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Aug 24, 2025

'Immigration to Canada' is trending on Twitter in South Korea as 'K-Trump' candidate is elected new president

'Immigration to Canada' is trending on Twitter in South Korea as 'K-Trump' candidate is elected new president

Yoon Suk-yeol has pledged to abolish the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, claiming that women do not suffer systemic gender discrimination.

"Immigration to Canada" was trending on South Korean Twitter on Thursday as a conservative candidate likened to Donald Trump was elected the country's new president.

In one of the closest presidential elections in recent history, Yoon Suk-yeol, 61, a former top prosecutor with no prior political experience, beat liberal ruling party candidate Lee Jae-myung, 57.

Yoon's win led some South Koreans to consider their immigration options — at least according to Twitter, where the term "immigration to Canada" was trending on Thursday. Twitter analytics site GetDayTrends reported close to 16,000 tweets about the topic in the early hours of the day.

The tweets were reminiscent of the 2016 US presidential elections when Canada's immigration website crashed as Trump swept key states.


A user with the handle @Im_not_pencil tweeted in Korean: "I have to study English and save money to immigrate to Canada. I can't stay in this stupid place anymore."


Another user, @Allow_opinion, wrote: "Let's all do our best, let's immigrate, let's meet in Canada or anywhere else. In our protest, let's meet."

User @1013653778_ shared tips on having a better chance at immigrating to Canada. "Must have — steady English learning — it is good to have IELTS 5.5 or higher," they wrote, referring to the standardized IELTS (International English Language Testing System) English test.

Critics have called Yoon "the South Korean Trump." A recent Korea Herald editorial noted that both "have made remarks that would be offensive to other countries, praised heavily controversial political figures, gone after foreigners and shown a poor understanding of feminism."

Yoon's controversial campaign pledges included a promise to abolish the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, claiming that women do not suffer systemic gender discrimination, per AFP. He is an "avowed anti-feminist," the news agency said.

South Korea is at the bottom of The Economist's glass-ceiling index that measures the role and influence of women in the workforce, ranking the lowest among 29 OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) member nations.

During his campaign trail, he also made "a string of gaffes," AFP reported, "from praising one of the country's former dictators, to belittling manual labor and Africans."

Yoon has said he would launch pre-emptive strikes on North Korea if necessary, comments which critics said were overly provocative, according to the South China Morning Post (SCMP). Describing North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as a "rude boy," Yoon said he would make Kim "snap out of it" upon winning the election, per AFP.

Tapping into growing anti-China sentiment in his home country, he has also pledged closer relations with the US, SCMP said.

Biden called Yoon to congratulate the president-elect on Thursday.

"The alliance between the United States and the Republic of Korea, our economies, and our people is ironclad," said a White House spokesperson.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner Purchases Third Property Amid Housing Tax Reforms Debate
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Italian Facebook Group Sharing Intimate Images Without Consent Shut Down Amid Police Investigation
Dutch Foreign Minister Resigns Amid Deadlock Over Israel Sanctions
Trump and Allies Send Messages of Support to Ukraine on Independence Day Amid Ongoing Conflict
China Reels as Telegram Chat Group Shares Hidden-Camera Footage of Women and Children
Sam Nicoresti becomes first transgender comedian to win Edinburgh Comedy Award
Builders uncover historic human remains in Lancashire house renovation
Australia Wants to Tax Your Empty Bedrooms
MotoGP Cameraman Narrowly Avoids Pedro Acosta Crash at Hungarian Grand Prix
FBI Investigates John Bolton Over Classified Documents in High-Profile Raids
Report reveals OpenAI pitched national ChatGPT Plus subscription to UK ministers
Labour set to freeze income tax thresholds in long-term 'stealth' tax raid
Coca‑Cola explores sale of Costa coffee chain
Trial hears dog walker was chased and fatally stabbed by trio
Restaurateur resigns from government hospitality council over tax criticism
Spanish City funfair shut after serious ride injury
Suspected arson at Ilford restaurant leaves three in critical condition
Tottenham beat Manchester City to go top of Premier League
Bank holiday heatwave to hit 30°C before remnants of Hurricane Erin arrive
UK to deploy immigration advisers to West Africa to block fake visas
Nurse who raped woman continued working for a year despite police alert
Drought forces closures of England’s canal routes, canceling boat holidays
Sweet tooth scents: food-inspired perfumes surge as weight-loss drugs suppress appetites
Experts warn Britain dangerously reliant on imported food
Family of Notting Hill Carnival murder victim call event unmanageable
Bunkers, Billions and Apocalypse: The Secret Compounds of Zuckerberg and the Tech Giants
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
Trump Called Viktor Orbán: "Why Are You Using the Veto"
Horror in the Skies: Plane Engine Exploded, Passengers Sent Farewell Messages
MSNBC Rebrands as MS NOW Amid Comcast’s Cable Spin-Off
AI in Policing: Draft One Helps Speed Up Reports but Raises Legal and Ethical Concerns
Shame in Norway: Crown Princess’s Son Accused of Four Rapes
Apple Begins Simultaneous iPhone 17 Production in India and China
A Robot to Give Birth: The Chinese Announcement That Shakes the World
Finnish MP Dies by Suicide in Parliament Building
Outrage in the Tennis World After Jannik Sinner’s Withdrawal Storm
William and Kate Are Moving House – and the New Neighbors Were Evicted
Class Action Lawsuit Against Volkswagen: Steering Wheel Switches Cause Accidents
×