U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaks at a meeting with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen (not pictured) at the presidential office in Taipei, Taiwan, Wednesday. Reuters-Yonhap

Pelosi's Taiwan visit, Lee's Ukraine trip generated different reactions in their respective home countries; why?

By Kang Hyun-kyung

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's arrival in Taiwan on Wednesday, despite China's furious reaction which materialized in a menacing military show of force, has made some Koreans like me want to revisit Lee Jun-seok's week-long trip to war-torn Ukraine two months ago, shortly after the June 1 local elections.

The two high-profile visits to the regions with high levels of security risk ― albeit of very different types ― generated contrasting reactions in each of the figures' domestic political contexts. Pelosi is seen as a determined and principled politician who risked her own safety for her life-long mission to protect democracy and human rights, whereas Lee's Ukraine visit left some of his party members and society more broadly cynical of his motives.

Pelosi, 82, and Lee, 37, are two extremely different politicians with few similarities. As the difference in their ages implies, Pelosi is a seasoned politician with a three-decade political career in the House of Representatives as its first female speaker. Lee's experience in politics is much shorter than that of the longtime California Democrat. He drew nationwide attention briefly last year after rising to power in the ruling People Power Party (PPP) following his stunning victory in the party's primary to select its leader. His stardom, however, was short-lived as seen in the PPP's ethics committee's decision in June to suspend him from his position and party affairs for six months for allegedly receiving sexual services as bribery for political favors twice, as well as destroying evidence.

Pelosi's determination to go ahead with her visit to Taiwan amid China's armed display to intimidate her, and Lee's Ukraine visit from June 3 to 9 are very different in their natures as well.