South Korea will hold presidential elections tomorrow. For the first time in the history of its democracy, it is possible that the country will elect a woman. If Park Guen-hye, the frontrunner for the presidency, wins as expected, it would be the first time in a millennia that a woman has helmed the country, which for all its modernity, remains deeply paternalistic. According to the World Economic Forum, South Korea is 108th out of 135 countries in terms of gender equality despite its enormous wealth.

Park is a leader of the conservative Saenuri Party (formerly known as the Grand National Party) and a daughter of the Republic of Korea’s ugly political past: her father, Park Chung-hee, took over the ...