Kang Jin-kyu

South Korea-born American doctor John Linton is hoping to shake up the country’s confrontational politics. Born in rural Jeolla province, Linton is nicknamed the ∼blue-eyed Korean∾ and speaks the language perfectly, albeit with a strong regional accent. He is well-known domestically thanks to his family’s deep-rooted ties to the country, going back four generations. His great-grandfather first came to Korea as a missionary in 1895, he told AFP, and the family never left -- his grandmother, and father were also born in the country. His great-grandfather’s efforts to raise international awareness of the country’s independence movement against Japan’s colonial rule and his father’s service as a Korean War veteran are highlighted. Linton himself acted as an interpreter for foreign press during a civilian uprising for democracy in the city of Gwangju in 1980 and has worked tirelessly to bring better ambulances to Korea since his father’s death due to poor transportation services. His medical work expanded to North Korea, where he tried to ∼help eradicate tuberculosis∾ in the reclusive nation, fondly recalling working with ∼very knowledgeable”” North Korean doctors. Linton is tasked with making the ruling People Power Party more competitive by appealing to younger voters. He is a staunch defender of President Yoon, saying the country’s top leader had been misjudged by much of the public.