[Anchor]
In the US right now, Francesca Hong, a second-generation Korean American who ran for governor of Wisconsin, is drawing major attention. Although she lost by an ultra-close margin in today's (the 12th) Democratic primary, her run is evaluated as having symbolically demonstrated the progressive whirlwind blowing through American politics.
Correspondent Lee Hanseok reports from Washington.
[Reporter]
Francesca Hong, a former chef, single mother in her 30s, and the first Asian American member of the Wisconsin State Assembly in history.
Self-identifying as a "Democratic Socialist," among the most progressive factions within the Democratic Party, she entered the Democratic gubernatorial primary and gained sensational popularity with sharp, progressive pledges such as universal free childcare and a minimum wage hike.
[Francesca Hong / Democratic Candidate for Wisconsin Governor: Voters are telling me they want permanent housing affordability measures. They are also demanding that we tax the ultra-wealthy and drive corrupt figures out of politics.]
With progressive victories recently continuing in states like Michigan and Minnesota, whether Representative Hong would advance to the general election emerged as a hot topic of interest across the entire United States.
Targeting Hong, President Trump launched a fierce offensive calling her a communist, while the Democratic party establishment also showed wariness, citing concerns over her general election competitiveness.
[Trump / US President (on the 6th): We even have a woman in Wisconsin among the communists arguing that Thanksgiving should be abolished immediately.]
Following a close race, Hong lost to moderate candidate Crowley by a 0.41 percentage point margin, or about 3,200 votes, but evaluations show she has once again confirmed the strength of the progressive whirlwind within the US.
[Francesca Hong / Democratic Candidate for Wisconsin Governor: From the bottom of my heart, I thank every single one of you for fighting so fiercely.]
Analysts point out that younger generations and the working class, exhausted by inequalities such as unemployment, high inflation, and housing instability, are enthusiastic about progressive candidates advocating for democratic socialism.
The bold challenge by the second-generation Korean American politician, which shook up a key swing state, ended as an unfinished endeavor, but the progressive craze in American politics is expected to continue.
(Video Taken by Park Eun-ha, Video Edited by Oh Young-taek)
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