Noticeably absent from this campaign is a sense of crisis about Korea's democracy itself—especially since Ms. Park is the daughter of Park Chung-hee, the military strongman who ruled in the 1960s and '70s. In previous cycles, at least one candidate roused passions with warnings that his opponent would return the country to authoritarianism.
Koreans now seem to take it for granted that whoever they elect this week will step down as scheduled in five years, when voters will have another chance. That change in tone is striking, even if the candidates or policy proposals aren't.