""The Dominant 586 Generation in the Ruling Party Lacks the Concept of 'Liberal Democracy'"
Mocking Choi Kang-wook as "Contributing to Human Rights Advancement"
People Party Holds 'On Gukmin Study Room' Every Wednesday"
[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] Former Dongyang University professor Jin Joong-kwon criticized the Democratic Party of Korea on the 10th, saying, “The 586 generation, which has become the mainstream of the Democratic Party, received political training through different routes. Since the only political learning they had was during their activist days, they have no concept of liberal democracy,” and added, “These people are not ideological leftists either. They have discarded all old ideologies.”
At the People’s Party policy seminar 'On Gukmin Study Room' held at the National Assembly Members’ Office Building that day, former professor Jin said, “The current Democratic Party is not the same party as during the presidencies of Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun. The mainstream has changed,” and added, “Former Presidents Kim and Roh were people with a thorough philosophy of liberal democracy and fought for its realization.” This was the second time former professor Jin visited the People’s Party since its founding initiator meeting.
Former professor Jin pointed out, “Unless you make it a sterile room, corruption exists wherever there is power in any country in the world. The problem is how corruption is handled when it breaks out,” and said, “In the past, at least there was an apology and a pretense of reflection, but recently, it has been handled strangely. They claim they did nothing wrong and that the standards themselves are wrong, thus breaking down the standards.”
Former professor Jin said, “Activists basically see politics as a battle between good and evil,” and explained, “Their sense of justice is established when they defend their allies and suppress their enemies by any means necessary. They desperately defend their allies even by ignoring the standards of justice because they see it as a way to establish their own unique sense of justice.” He added, “The idea that winning is the highest justice and that any means should be used for that, that enemies must be completely excluded and allies embraced, appeared during the Cho Kuk incident and continues to appear as a recurring pattern.”
Former professor Jin said, “Recently, we often witness strange scenes where those who broke the law rather criticize the prosecution,” and pointed out, “This is why Choi Kang-wook, a member of the Open Democratic Party, behaved unreasonably by trying to leave the courtroom during his trial. He claimed it contributed to human rights advancement.”
Former professor Jin said, “Former Minister Cho Kuk said at the confirmation hearing, ‘I am a socialist.’ That socialism is a mirror image,” and explained, “He still holds a noble and pure self-image as a revolutionary warrior fighting for the people. The revolution is all gone, but like Che Guevara printed on a T-shirt, living in Gangnam but with a consciousness of justice, so it’s cooler, isn’t it?”
Ahn Cheol-soo, leader of the People’s Party, said, “For the first lecture, we invited the respected former professor Jin. He is more qualified than anyone to speak about the values of justice and fairness, which are in crisis in our country,” and added, “About ten years ago, a book titled ‘What is Justice?’ sold over a million copies. The public is realizing that even if the regime changes now, this problem will not be solved.”
The People’s Party policy seminar will be held every Wednesday starting with former professor Jin’s lecture. On Gukmin Study Room has three layered meanings: On (pure Korean word for ‘all’), On (English ‘on’), and On (溫, meaning ‘warm’). All lectures are broadcast live on YouTube, and all viewers can participate and communicate online. On the 17th, Professor Il-young Lee of Hanshin University will give a lecture on COVID-19 and the Korean New Deal. Afterwards, lectures on non-consensual rape by Professor Soo-jung Lee of Kyonggi University and basic income by Professor Jae-jin Yang of Yonsei University will follow.
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