Conditions for the governor to re-enter politics

Moon Byung-joo
The author is an editorial writer of the JoongAng Ilbo.

In time with the memorial event to mark the death of former President Roh Moo-hyun on May 23, there was a growing sense of unity among the pro-Moon Jae-in politicians in the Democratic Party (DP). It was because the event took place while the pro-Moon faction remained silent as the DP became a unipolar party of Chairman Lee Jae-myung during the April 10 parliamentary elections. At the center of it all was former South Gyeongsang Governor Kim Kyung-soo, the heir of the pro-Moon faction, whether it was his intention or not.

Kim left the country in August to study in Britain and returned temporarily last month to attend the memorial event. He visited Pyeongsan Bookstore run by the former president in South Gyeongsang and contacted pro-Moon lawmakers. When asked about his future plans upon his return, he said, “It is time for me to see, hear and learn many things rather than saying anything at this moment.”

But after his meeting with Moon, Kim made his schedule clear. “I plan to stay abroad for a while longer and study and then return permanently at the end of this year,” he said. “I don’t think I should be gone for too long.”

And then, the topic of his reinstatement came up. Kim and his aides argue that he should be freed from political shackles as he was unfairly investigated and tried. Expectations are high that President Yoon Suk Yeol will reinstate his political rights in order to trigger division in the opposition. During the last presidential election, former Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon left the DP and created his own party but suffered a crushing defeat. As a result, there is no pro-Moon politician who can compete against the current DP leader.

Kim was investigated on charges of conspiring with a team of bloggers to manipulate online comments to support presidential candidate Moon before and after the 2017 election, and was indicted in August 2018. In July 2021, the Supreme Court upheld Kim’s conviction and a two-year prison sentence and he was jailed. Although he was pardoned and released from prison in December 2022, his political rights were not reinstated. He is not eligible to run for any public office until Dec. 28, 2027.

According to the Public Official Election Act and the Act on the Lapse of Criminal Sentences, a pardoned convict’s right to run for public office is restricted for five years from the date of his release from prison. Unless there is a critical change, the 2026 local elections and 2027 presidential election will take place before then.

Moon loyalists seem to expect Kim to play a role in future elections. The DP is now “serving only one person [Chairman Lee] as an emperor,” former National Assembly Secretary-General Yoo In-tae said. The current situation is fueling the need for Kim’s political comeback. The DP is seeking to amend the party constitution and bylaws to allow Chairman Lee’s consecutive re-election and guarantee him opportunities to exercise nominating rights for the 2026 local elections all to help his next presidential bid.

For Kim to be reinstated and resume his political career, there is one thing he must do. He must apologize for his wrongdoing, which he was ruled guilty of by the Supreme Court. He has kept an unashamed attitude ever since the probe began. “Let me make it clear once again that the failure of the judiciary to uncover the truth does not change the truth as it is,” he said shortly before going to prison in July 2021. When his pardon was discussed in 2022, Kim said he will complete the sentence because he has nothing to repent for. Some say that Kim keeps up this attitude because he worries that remorse would undermine the legitimacy of the 2017 presidential election and culpability would eventually extend to his former boss.

Kim will soon leave for Europe, reportedly to further study the social integration of European countries. Based on this, he will reportedly seek ways to achieve compromise and social integration in Korean politics. Hopefully, he will pay attention to the opinion of Harvard professors Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt in “How Democracies Die.” In the book, the two scholars stressed that the number one criterion of identifying a potential dictator is a rejection of democratic norms or a lack of willingness to comply with them. Championing social inclusion and compromise even while disregarding judicial judgments is just another politician trying to rely on an animalistic sense of politics and fandom.