Professor of International Relations Ramon Pacheco Pardo at King’s College London said both Yoon and Trump are similar in two ways: That they are willing to make statements some consider taboo and that they are both outsiders, not career politicians. They were also put where they are by their own parties.

“Yoon, compared to other conservative politicians, he’s clearly willing to push the red line. For example, what he said about Chun Doo-hwan, considering how hated Chun is by South Koreans and mainstream conservatives -- I think other politicians wouldn’t say it,” Pardo said.

“When he talks about there being no more structural gender discrimination, he’s trying to say ‘Look, this is something many Koreans agree with, but they are not willing to say because it’s not the right thing to say in public,’” he added.