All views and information presented herein are my own and do not represent the views of the Fulbright Program or the U.S. Department of State.
On Wednesday morning (U.S. Tuesday evening), I was invited to attend the US. Presidential Election Watch at an event hosted by the U.S. Embassy in Seoul.
It was unforgettable for so many different reasons. Since this election holds grave importance to the Korea – U.S. Alliance, as well as other alliances in South East Asia, many Koreans with ties to the U.S. attended.
There were guest panelists, talks explaining the system of elections and the electoral college, and lots of press covering it. We had a delicious lunch and many interesting chats and moments. Guests were there for different reasons. There were businessmen, academics, journalists, lawyers, diplomats, college students, all gathered to watch the outcome of the future of the United States and in some measure theirs.
The mood fluctuated from excitement, exhilaration, confusion, disappointment to utter disbelief and tears. Koreans are deeply connected to our democracy and our future.
I leave you with some photos of this moment in American and world history.
bridging perspectives 
I try to not discuss politics outside of my family, but I can say the general consensus on Wednesday morning was, “WOW’????
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What an interesting event! I’m glad you were able to attend. I find it interesting to participate in national events while outside the country. For example, I watched the Super Bowl twice while living in Japan–each time the broadcast was at 2am or 3am.
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Indeed, it was a fascinating event that gave me insight into how many of the people here feel about the relationship between both countries.
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