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Progressive elitism and the alienation of young men

Published: 21 Feb. 2025, 00:02

Kim Jung-ha

The author is an editorial writer at the JoongAng Ilbo.

It is hardly news that progressive elites who remain oblivious to societal shifts despise young men in their 20s and 30s. Yet, the recent controversy surrounding remarks by Park Gu-yong, former head of the Education Training Institute of the Democratic Party (DP), was particularly startling, given that he is a professor of philosophy at Chonnam National University, teaching students in the very demographic he disparaged.

During a YouTube broadcast on Feb. 8, Park commented on the increasing conservatism among younger men, saying, “Instead of trying to bring them to our side, we should study how to make them a minority.” He added, “For now, we must let them wither away and become isolated.”

He went further: “These conservative young men lack critical thinking; they only know how to calculate. A healthy self-identity requires internal conflicts, but they are incapable of change. Don’t hold out hope for them.”

This was not Park’s first misstep. In December last year, he sparked outrage by commenting on the low turnout of young men at a protest calling for President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment: “We should let 20s and 30s men know — women are the ones showing up to these protests.” His remarks implied that young men were driven solely by base instincts, reducing them to simplistic, one-dimensional beings.

YouTube thumbnails that advocate against President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment [SCREEN CAPTURE]

The DP's Education Training Institute is responsible for educating over 2 million party members. Park was personally appointed by DP leader Lee Jae-myung. One can only assume that within this institution, he indoctrinated party members into viewing young men as a lost cause, undeserving of engagement.

After his comments triggered public backlash, Park resigned on Feb. 12, but his views are far from isolated in progressive circles.

In 2023, Yoo Si-min, a close ally of Lee, raged against FM Korea, a popular online forum among young men, saying, “I want to tell them — you're all garbage.” Why did he resort to such vitriolic rhetoric? Because young men overwhelmingly supported Yoon over Lee in the last presidential election.

In 2019, then-DP Supreme Council member Seol Hoon explained the decline in party support among young men by blaming past conservative administrations, saying, “These young men were educated under the Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye governments. One has to wonder whether they received a proper education.” While this comment also drew criticism, at least it implied education could change their views. Today, the progressive stance has devolved into openly advocating for their extinction.

However, isolating and suppressing young men is neither just nor realistic. Those who attempt to do so will find themselves obsolete first.

Protesters against Yoon's impeachment rally in Gwanghwamun Square in Jongno District, central Seoul, on Feb. 15. [YONHAP]

Among older generations, there is little difference in political ideology between men and women. However, among the 20s and 30s demographic, the gender divide is striking. Gender issues are now of critical importance to this generation.

While older progressives dismiss these concerns, young men see countless gender-related injustices. A prime example is mandatory military service. The Constitution states that national defense is a duty of “all citizens,” not just men. So why are women exempt? If combat roles are unsuitable, why not assign them to public service duties instead?

Consider pharmacy school admissions in Seoul last year: 638 students were accepted, yet 320 spots were reserved exclusively for women’s universities. Is it fair that women hold such a disproportionate advantage in admission rates?

These are only a few examples. The list of perceived unfair policies against young men is extensive.

The older generation of men enjoyed the privileges of a male-dominated society, but young men today feel they have gained nothing. Yet progressives still treat them as if they are beneficiaries of male privilege, provoking their backlash.

Progressives respond to their grievances with a single, dismissive argument: “Men must bear the burden of their historical sins.”

If young men are turning to conservatism, it’s not because they lack critical thinking; it’s because they have lost hope in the left.

The role of responsible politics is to listen to their concerns, find rational solutions and work toward reducing gender conflict — not to leave them to wither and die.

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