Cho Kuk Voices Concerns Over Far-Right Shift Among Young Men
"Survey Shows 3 Out of 10 Men in Their 20s Are Far-Right"
"Lee Junseok Should Say to Himself What He Says to Me"
Lee Junseok, leader of the Reform New Party, criticized Cho Kuk, head of the Innovation Policy Research Institute of the Cho Kuk Innovation Party, for his remarks on "far-right tendencies," accusing him of "sowing division." In response, Cho countered, "That's something he should say to himself when looking in the mirror." In an interview with Yonhap News on September 2, Cho stated, "There are survey results showing that 3 out of 10 men in their 20s are far-right, and that the proportion is 1.5 times higher than among women in their 20s," sharing his views on the far-right shift among men in their 20s and 30s.
Cho Kuk, head of the Innovation Policy Research Institute of the Cho Kuk Innovation Party, is speaking at the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the 1st. Photo by Kim Hyunmin
Cho explained, "Far-right politics grow out of inequality. Because people feel unequal and marginalized, they create internal enemies. Even if they are not far-right, men in their 20s and 30s experience a sense of alienation." He added, "It is true that they hold the perception that women are being protected far more than men. That is an issue the older generation needs to address." He continued, "Lee Junseok (leader of the Reform New Party) accused me of sowing division, but I was puzzled, thinking, 'Why is he saying to me what he should be saying to himself when looking in the mirror?'."
Previously, in an interview on Channel A's "Political Signal" on September 1, Lee stated, "Dividing people based on the probability of becoming far-right according to economic income is a typical example of sowing division." He continued, "Former President Moon Jaein was particularly skilled at sowing division, and perhaps because Cho Kuk comes from the Moon Jaein administration, he is doing the same." Lee added, "It seems clear that he wants to position himself as the successor to the Moon Jaein administration," and said, "Because of the Cho Min incident, it seems he is trying to turn young people who would never vote for him into adversaries and use that as political fuel."
Cho, who was granted a special pardon and reinstatement on Liberation Day, has repeatedly addressed the far-right shift among men in their 20s and 30s. In an interview on MBC Radio's "Kwon Soonpyo's News High Kick" on August 22, he commented on the low approval rating of the Cho Kuk Innovation Party among the 2030 generation, saying, "Men in their 20s and 30s show similar tendencies to those in their 70s," and added, "If it were simply a conservative inclination, the issue might be different, but they are showing what is called a far-right tendency."
He further stated, "It seems that the global phenomenon of young people shifting to the far-right appears when their future feels uncertain and, no matter how hard they try, good jobs and employment remain unstable." He pointed out, "With conservative parties' voices virtually disappearing and far-right parties replacing them, the People Power Party, a far-right party, is capturing the path of those in their 20s and 30s."
After visiting the Busan Democracy Park on August 24, he also said, "Some claim that the 2030 generation is not shifting to the far-right, but I disagree," adding, "I believe the reason men in their 20s and 30s are moving to the far-right lies in their socioeconomic conditions. Solving that problem is my duty as a politician. Far-right tendencies cannot be tolerated."
Even after these remarks, Cho continued to share articles on social networking services (SNS) that cited survey results showing that one out of three men in their 20s is far-right, as well as articles indicating that the probability of being a far-right youth is higher among those living in Seoul and those in higher economic classes.
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