SEOUL -- I got an e-mail today from a colleague, a reporter here in Korea, who was curious to know my reaction to Barack Obama's victory in Tuesday's elections. I told her that for the first time in years I felt hopeful about politics, to which she replied, "Yesterday, I envied Americans."
Koreans across the political spectrum are welcoming the news of Obama's victory. His name is being spoken on streetcars and in cafes across the city. His image is splashed across newspapers. The JoongAng Daily dedicated four pages of coverage to the elections, with headlines hailing Obama's "breaking of the race barrier" and his "revolution."
A blogger on a popular Internet site congratulated America on "beginning to rewrite its history," a nod to the significance of America's first African American president and a sigh of relief that many here are breathing after eight years of unilateral decision-making by Washington.
An article in the JoongAng notes that Obama studied Korea's traditional martial art, Taekwondo, for four years, that he enjoys eating Korean food and that he greets Koreans in Korean, something he learned during his years in Hawaii, where there is a sizable Korean community.
Former President and Nobel Peace Prize winner Kim Dae-jung said Obama's win "gives new hope to people who had given up on America."
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