John LInton, Photo by Korean Culture and Information Service

Charting a Unique Path: Professor Linton’s Rise in South Korean Politics

By Byung Kee Park

Seoul, South Korea — In a remarkable political development in 1990, Peru witnessed the unprecedented election of Alberto Fujimori, a man of Japanese descent, as its 54th president. With an overwhelming majority of 62.4%, Fujimori defeated Mario Vargas Llosa, marking the first time an individual of Asian descent assumed such a position in South America. Despite being born in Peru, Fujimori's appearance was distinctly Japanese or Asian.

A similar groundbreaking moment transpired in South Korea today. The leading conservative party, People Power Party (PPP), appointed Professor John Linton (Korean name: Ihn Yo-han, the director of Yonsei University's International Health Care Center at Severance Hospital), a Caucasian individual of special naturalization, as the chairman of its reform committee. Many keenly observe whether Linton, the newly appointed chairman, can rescue the party from its current challenges.

Chairman Linton, or Ihn, is the great-grandson of Eugene Bell, a renowned missionary in Korean history. Arriving in Korea on April 8, 1895, as an American Presbyterian missionary of Scottish descent, Bell established schools and hospitals in Gwangju and Mokpo. His daughter, Charlotte Bell, Linton's grandmother, married William Linton and they continued missionary work in Korea. They suffered hardships for rejecting the Japanese mandate to worship at Shinto shrines. Their third son, Hugh Linton, joined the naval forces during the Korean War and continued his father's missionary endeavors in Korea. Ihn Yo-han, initially named John Linton, is the youngest of Hugh's five children.

John Linton, the chairman, is essentially Korean by heart. Born in Jeolla Province and educated in Suncheon, his proficiency in the Korean language is said to be so good that his parents sought special English education for him. Born in 1959, he witnessed the horrors of the May 18 Democratization Movement firsthand and even served as an English interpreter for the citizen army.

While Linton admires former South Korean President Kim Dae-jung, his political inclinations are more conservative, which likely influenced his appointment within the People Power Party. Despite his conservatism, his Jeolla roots mean he shares some political sentiments with the Honam region and the progressive. 

Linton's acceptance of the position as chairman is more for the sake of South Korea than the party itself. In a press conference today, he stated, "It's crucial to focus on leaving a better world for future generations." On the topic of unification, he emphasized acceptance and understanding, saying, "Though people may have different views, we shouldn't harbor resentment."

Citing a quote from Lee Kun-hee, the late chairman of Samsung Group, Linton stressed the need for change within the party, suggesting that all but the "wife and child" must be replaced. Concerning the appointment of the reform committee, he expressed a personal wish to see more capable women in significant roles.

While Fujimori contributed to Peru's economic progress, his tenure was marred by authoritarianism, human rights abuses, and an eventual escape to Japan following the exposure of corrupt practices. South Koreans now hope Chairman Linton will take a different path, meeting their expectations for change and progress.