Actions speak louder than words

Democratic Party (DP) leader Lee Jae-myung returns to the party on Monday, 35 days after his hospitalization from the side effects of a hunger strike. Upon resuming his role as the majority leader, Lee is expected to emphasize the importance of “public livelihood” and “internal unity.” We hope Lee first ends his signature combative politics with the governing People Power Party (PPP) and the government.

While he was away from politics, the prosecution’s request for his arrest warrant for multiple charges was rejected by a court. The DP also won a landslide victory in the Oct. 11 by-election for the head of the Gangseo district in Seoul. With such good news, Lee returns to his job. But the court’s rejection of his arrest warrant was just a procedure required to weigh the need to arrest him for further investigations, not a judgment affirming his innocence. The DP’s crushing victory in the by-election also owed more to the voters’ disappointment about the conservative government than to the opposition’s merit.

It will be a serious mistake for the DP to think it deserved an election triumph despite its leader’ judicial risks, a party member’s suspicious acquisition of cryptocurrency and its unceasing outdoor rallies detached from public opinion. A recent Gallup Korea poll proves it. The voters’ support is evenly split — 34 percent for the DP against 33 percent for the PPP, with 28 percent not supporting either party. It is not the time for the DP to be elated by the election win, but to depart with its iconic fandom-based politics and to innovate and democratize the party.

Nevertheless, some political pundits anticipate that Lee will be more combative toward the government after returning to his post. The DP will most likely rekindle volatile issues such as a presidential aide’s daughter’s school violence and the government’s suspicious change of a highway route allegedly in favor of the family of President Yoon Suk Yeol’s wife. The opposition is entitled to criticize the government but it must cooperate when the need arises.

The PPP expressed hope for cooperation with the DP to prioritize public livelihood when Lee comes back. After the election defeat, the PPP repeatedly vowed to listen to the voices of the people after President Yoon’s pledge to communicate with the people more. We welcome such a change.

But always, actions speak louder than words. The government and the PPP must squarely face the harsh reality of its minority status, accept the DP as a partner for governance, and start dialogue. The change can start with a long-awaited meeting between the leaders of the two parties.