[The Editors' Verdict]April: The Spirit of Free Citizenship Remains Awake

The spirit of the April 19 Revolution, which marks its 60th anniversary, is clear. Governments and systems that suppress freedom or hold citizens accountable without their consent are enemies of the Republic of Korea. Every society and national system has the responsibility to preserve freedom, the source of human creativity and the dream of a better future. Hypocritical politics, which go beyond social consensus to ideologically steer society or serve as tools to conceal illegal or unlawful acts, will collapse. When nominal rule of law loses the values of fairness and justice and continuously degenerates into a means to defend the interests of specific camps or forces, free citizens enjoy the innate right to resist, and such resistance is an essential process to restore freedom, truth, and justice.

The conscience and sincerity of progressivism, which continued from Kim Dae-jung to Roh Moo-hyun, have collapsed under the current administration. Many feel an irreparable sense of betrayal even within their own camp due to theatrical politics covering numerous policy failures and the "Cho Kuk-like" hypocritical politics. Progressive politics, which once aimed to overthrow authoritarianism and communicate with ordinary people, has now become a politics that rather heightens authoritarianism and drives the opposing camp into a corrupt force through collective populism akin to a cultural revolution. This is while building an authoritarian totalitarian system comparable to the dictatorship they once criticized.

Nevertheless, the April 15 general election ended in a defeat for the conservative right. Opinions vary, attributing the cause to the United Future Party’s exclusion of the right-wing Taegeukgi faction, last-minute slanders related to the Sewol ferry disaster, public opinion battles concerning the COVID-19 pandemic, and the ruling party’s cash handout policies. There is also a widespread sense of crisis over the collapse of the conservative right. Beyond these fragmentary analyses, a comprehensive perspective is needed.

Globally, the era of left-right ideology has already faded since 30 years ago. The "red scare" frame no longer works, and those who invoke it only reinforce the image of being extreme right-wingers. This election proved that those who call themselves conservatives and their camps are trapped in frames that no longer resonate with the majority of the people.

A fundamental reflection and change are needed from the forces that have enjoyed vested interests within the conservative right coalition system. Yet, the conservative right camp has only shouted messages that the ongoing purge of deep-rooted evils is unfair and that if they come to power, they will reverse it and restore the market economy order.

Now, the progressive camp, which has led the development of democracy in Korea, has received a national mandate to complete conservative social reforms even if it means regressing democracy by 30 years. Already, power institutions including the judiciary, prosecution, and police, as well as the media, diplomacy, and education sectors, are entering a mechanism of authoritarian and totalitarian cultural control under the Blue House’s top-down authority. With the legislature now also under control, the country is heading toward a solidified legal framework. Korean society is moving into a world never before experienced, where under the "authoritarian totalitarianism constructed by the progressive camp," public authority will continuously justify its existence by rooting out opponents under the pretext of reform.

The opposition to Cho Kuk has already proven that Korea’s free civil society is awake. No matter how much the media and power institutions are controlled and the logic of reform is reproduced, the April 19 free civic consciousness of Koreans will inevitably awaken. Claims that the election results will "socialize Korea" or "make it subordinate to China" are shortsighted. It is hoped that the era of extreme conservative right-wing politics will end and that the true values of conservatism will be reborn. Moving beyond an era of lies and false politics to one where sincere and responsible politics earn the people's votes will take time. For this to happen, both extreme conservatives and pseudo-progressives must be thoroughly dismantled. So far, only half of that has been achieved.

Choi Won-mok, Professor, Ewha Womans University School of Law