During the Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun eras, progressives were distant from power
Sangjin Han, Chairman of the Jungmin Social Theory Research Foundation (Jungmin Foundation) and Professor Emeritus at Seoul National University / Photo by Yonhap News
[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Seulgi Kim] Sangjin Han, Chairman of the Jungmin Social Theory Research Foundation (Jungmin Foundation) and Professor Emeritus at Seoul National University, stated on the 27th that "In order to protect Yoon Mee-hyang, the elected member of the Democratic Party of Korea, even grandmother Lee Yong-soo, a comfort women victim, was targeted."
Professor Han made this remark at a forum hosted by the Jungmin Foundation held at the Korea Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul, saying, "The progressive movement is no longer the same as the past progressives who represented civil society."
He explained, "(The progressive movement) is highly likely to transform into a vested interest group or an established system centered around state power," adding, "If it were true progressivism, there would have been intense reflection and introspection following the Justice and Memory Foundation (Jeonguiyeondae) incident."
After the event, in an interview with JoongAng Ilbo, Professor Han pointed out, "During the Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun administrations, the progressive camp positioned itself as a check on state or political power by keeping distance. However, recently, the progressive camp tends to identify itself with state power."
He added, "It is concerning that the progressive forces, now aligned with state power, are armed with excessive 'self-confidence,' dividing friend and foe and excluding opponents."
Regarding the recent incident involving the elected member Yoon, Professor Han criticized, "Embracing victims who suffered from state (Japanese) violence is the value of progressivism, but instead, in an attempt to protect the power of certain individuals or groups, victims have been thrown into the midst of another form of violence. This is shockingly abnormal behavior."
Professor Han was known as a moderate progressive scholar, having served as the chairman of the Presidential Advisory Policy Planning Committee during the Kim Dae-jung administration.
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