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Insights from 'Hoonong,' a legendary politician

Published: 20 Jan. 2025, 00:01

Lee Ha-kyung

The author is a senior columnist of the JoongAng Ilbo.

Korea is engulfed in a political civil war. Following the unprecedented arrest of a sitting president in Korea’s constitutional history — an individual consumed by delusion who instigated an insurrection — his supporters turned into mobs, storming the courthouse. Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the Democratic Party (DP), has been fiercely calling for the immediate ousting of the fallen President Yoon Suk Yeol. Does this finally satisfy him? He declared, “The law is equal for all.” If so, he should also demand, “Let there be a swift ruling on my trial.” Meanwhile, public sentiment seems to have shifted, with the People Power Party (PPP) surpassing the DP in approval ratings. Could this reflect a desire to see not just Yoon but also Lee come to an end? There is no visible force capable of bringing order to this chaos.

We are living under the “1987 system,” celebrated as a democratic model for its regular regime changes. However, its creation focused heavily on direct presidential elections, leaving untouched the remnants of the imperial presidency from the Yushin Constitution era. This centralized power structure has caused repeated political crises. Korea now needs a reset — an overhaul of its constitutional framework to establish a new republic where citizens are truly sovereign.

It is miraculous that the nation has come this far. The National Coalition for a Democratic Constitution, formed in May 1987, united students and citizens to force the government’s June 29 Declaration of Democratic Reform. Kim Sang-hyun, better known by his pen name “Hoonong,” played a pivotal role in this historic victory. Kim Deok-ryong, a close ally of former President Kim Young-sam, credited Hoonong for the foundation of the coalition and its influence on the June Democracy Movement.

Hoonong played a pivotal role in the reversal that led to Kim Dae-jung’s nomination as the opposition candidate in the 1971 presidential election. In the mid-1980s, Kim Dae-jung distrusted Kim Young-sam and harbored skepticism toward both coalition and the New Democratic Party. Yet, Hoonong’s political flexibility united the two Kims and reshaped the course of history. On Feb. 8, 1985, just four days before the Feb. 12 general election, Kim Dae-jung returned to Korea. Hoonong organized a welcoming committee, propelling Kim to the forefront of the New Democratic Party’s surge.

The emergence of this prominent opposition party paved the way for the 1987 June Democratic Uprising, which thwarted Chun Doo Hwan’s plans for extended rule. While advocating for a single opposition candidate in the 1987 presidential election, Hoonong refused to join when Kim Dae-jung launched the Peace Democratic Party with his "Four-Party Win Strategy." He also severed ties with Kim Young-sam when the latter merged with two other parties to form the Democratic Liberal Party. Hoonong’s ability to unify the two towering political figures of his time was unmatched, yet his resistance to both leaders left him with profound personal and political wounds — marking both his limits and his destiny.

Hoonong was a politician of compromise but never wavered on principle. In 1967, with quixotic determination, he secured an agreement from President Park Chung Hee for a summit with Yoo Jin-oh, the leader of the New Democratic Party. Despite Yoo’s approval, internal opposition within the party derailed the plan. Hoonong endured accusations of being a “traitor” and even faced symbolic “execution” within the party. During his meeting with Park, he asserted, “The opposition must be embraced, and their reasons for pursuing democratization must be understood.” Park replied, “If I ever attempt to extend my rule or infringe on basic rights, you must lead an uncompromising fight against me.” Hoonong agreed and, true to his word, led the opposition against the Yushin Constitution in 1972, which landed him in prison.

In November 1979, Hoonong was detained and tortured by military security forces. On the sixth day of his detention, he met with Commander Chun Doo Hwan, where the two shared whiskey. When Chun sought advice on resolving the political turmoil, Hoonong recommended, “The only way is for opposing political forces to reconcile and reach a grand compromise. The military must not intervene in politics.” Despite this advice, Chun sent him to prison. Hoonong later prayed for Chun’s success in governance.

After President Park’s assassination on Oct. 26, when pro-democracy figures gathered at former President Yun Bo-seon’s residence demanding the immediate resignation of acting President Choi Kyu-ha, Hoonong stood alone in opposition, arguing, “This will only give the military a pretext to intervene.” His stance mirrors the recent controversy surrounding the DP's impeachment of acting President Han Duck-soo, which alienated centrist voters. What if Lee Jae-myung had advised against Han’s impeachment?

Hoonong’s life story reflects the resilience of a self-made individual. As a child, he worked as a gum seller and shoeshiner while attending night school. His mother, a shaman from Jangseong, South Jeolla, was executed during the Korean War for aiding communist partisans, yet she saved others by declaring, “I alone helped them.” Hoonong inherited this humanitarian spirit. Even those who tortured him harshly earned his condolences when they passed away. When military security agents tried to leave him at home after detaining him, he stopped them, saying, “You are not to blame. Stay and have a meal before you go.” These individuals remained lifelong admirers of Hoonong.

Today, figures who claim to represent constitutional authority cling to Lee Jae-myung and Yoon Suk Yeol, hurling accusations at each other in a pitiful display. Recent biographers Kim Hak-min and Koh Won described Hoonong’s view of politics as “a realm where good and evil intermingle to create a better world.” Hoonong’s Catholic baptismal name, Peter, resonated with him because he saw himself in the apostle’s human flaws — his cowardice and his denials of Christ — but also his capacity for repentance. Father Ham Se-woong recalled how Hoonong confessed to being easily moved to tears but unwavering in his compassion, even toward his fiercest adversaries. His life, marked by sacrifices for Korea’s fraught and scarred democracy, deserves the highest respect as a testament to a humanitarian and principled politician.

Translated using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.