Why Did the "Gaeddal" Turn Their Backs on Park Ji-hyun?

Democratic Party 2030 Female Supporters Cheered 'Bulkotdaejang'
"Chairman Park Ignores 586 Lawmakers and Gaeddal"...Calls for Resignation
Park Also Firm on "Serious Fandom Politics"...Sharp Conflict Emerges

Park Ji-hyun, Co-Chair of the Emergency Response Committee of the Democratic Party of Korea, is attending the Emergency Response Committee meeting held at the National Assembly and delivering an opening remark. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Yunjin Kim] Park Ji-hyun, co-chair of the Emergency Response Committee of the Democratic Party of Korea, has faced strong resignation demands from the so-called "Gaeddal (Daughters of Reform)." The conflict between Park, who calls for the abolition of "fandom politics," and Gaeddal, who have emerged as a strong support base through active political participation, remains unresolved.

With the June 1 local elections approaching, the confrontation between Park and Gaeddal has intensified, and tensions within the party leadership are also escalating again. On the 27th, Park apologized on her Facebook for announcing a reform plan without consulting the party leadership but stood firm by stating, "We must break away from violent fandom politics. Although it is only a part, fandom politics is overrepresenting our party members." Later, she posted again on Facebook, revealing internal conflicts within the party leadership by mentioning her absence from the Democratic Party's Emergency Response Committee's focused campaign rally held in Incheon in the afternoon.

Amid Park's firm voice calling for reform within the Democratic Party, some party supporters have strongly criticized her, urging her to "stop internal attacks." Particularly, the 2030 female support base known as "Gaeddal" has turned against Park, drawing attention. On the 20th, they held a rally in front of the Democratic Party headquarters, demanding Park's apology and resignation, saying, "You are not qualified to be the head of the Democratic Party's Emergency Response Committee."

"Gaeddal" refers to the 2030 female supporters of the Democratic Party who rallied around candidate Lee Jae-myung during the 20th presidential election. After the election, Gaeddal joined the Democratic Party and actively participated in politics by communicating through online communities such as Daum Cafe and Twitter. They affectionately nicknamed Lee Jae-myung, the general election campaign committee chairman, as "Jaempapa (Jae-myung + Papa)" and "Jaemchilla (Jae-myung + Chinchilla)," and called Park "Fire Captain," positioning themselves as her supporters and defenders.

However, cracks appeared after Park was appointed co-chair of the Emergency Response Committee and took a tough stance on internal party issues such as allegations of sexual misconduct by lawmakers. Especially, when Park advocated for the "retirement of the 586 generation" and "breaking away from fandom politics" a week before the June 1 local elections, there was strong backlash.

On the 25th, at a joint meeting of the party's election committee, Park raised the level of demands for party reform by stating, "We need to discuss the retirement of 586 politicians to restore public trust" and "Fandom politics that denies democracy within the party is serious." In response, the Democratic Party's rights members' bulletin board and Park's social media accounts were flooded with criticisms such as "Are you trying to ruin the local elections?" and "If you are going to ignore party members' opinions, leave."

Gaeddal criticize Park for disregarding the experience and efforts of established politicians. They argue that political newcomers drafted from outside are trying to oust lawmakers who have made substantial contributions to the party. A Democratic Party supporter account on Twitter criticized, "Are you planning to take advantage of the Democratic Party without 586 politicians?" They also expressed resentment toward the term "fandom politics." Another Gaeddal Twitter account operator argued, "Are you belittling the meaning by calling it 'fandom politics' just because 2030 women have become a politically highly engaged group?" and demanded recognition of Gaeddal as a meaningful political force among 2030 women.

There are various perspectives on the situation where Gaeddal has established itself as a strong support base within the Democratic Party and exerts influence. On the 18th, independent lawmaker Yang Hyang-ja criticized on her Facebook, "Politics should worry about the people, but the people are worrying about politics. Instead of reaching out to struggling people, they keep asking the people for power," pointing out that the Democratic Party relies only on its hardline supporters. On the other hand, columnist Hwang Kyo-ik stated on Facebook on the 25th, "Ignoring the hardliners (strong supporters) means you cannot attract moderates," arguing that focusing on the core support base is natural.

Meanwhile, discussions on the party reform plan announced by Park are expected to intensify after the elections. Depending on the election results, internal conflicts within the Democratic Party may escalate further after the local elections.