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To the ruling and opposition parties who undermined democracy: No more street politics

Published: 03 Mar. 2025, 00:00

From left, protesters for the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol rally near the Constitutional Court in Jongno District, central Seoul, on March. 1. Protesters rally against the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol rally in central Seoul on the same day. [YONHAP]

On March 1, nationwide rallies were held both in support of and against the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol. Approximately 120,000 people (according to police estimates) gathered in Gwanghwamun and Yeouido to oppose the impeachment, while around 18,000 attended a pro-impeachment rally near the Constitutional Court. Given that the court has already completed its final hearings on the impeachment trial, it is understandable that citizens would take to the streets. The real issue, however, lies in the conduct of political leaders from both parties.

At the impeachment opposition rally in Yeouido, 37 lawmakers from the ruling People Power Party (PPP), including Kim Gi-hyeon, Choo Kyung-ho and Na Kyung-won, were in attendance. These politicians engaged in praise for Yoon, who had thrown the nation into turmoil with an abrupt declaration of martial law. Kim described Yoon as "a leader willing to walk a thorny path for the sake of the country, prioritizing national salvation over personal safety." Na called him "a truly courageous leader." The opposition, however, was no better. More than 100 lawmakers from the Democratic Party (DP), including its leader, Lee Jae-myung, rushed to the pro-impeachment rally, where he denounced the ruling party as "not even a legitimate conservative force, but merely a reactionary faction."

With Korea grappling with social unrest and economic turmoil in the wake of Yoon's Dec. 3 martial law declaration, both parties should be pooling their wisdom to address these crises. Last week, the National Assembly was still negotiating urgent matters, such as a supplementary budget, pension reform and the Special Act on Semiconductors. The foundation of any negotiation is mutual respect. Yet, instead of bridging differences at a critical juncture, both parties have sabotaged the talks with obstinacy and political grandstanding, only to then escalate tensions further by making incendiary remarks at highly polarized rallies.

On Feb. 27, the Economist Intelligence Unit released its annual Democracy Index 2024, which saw Korea’s score plummet, downgrading the country from a "full democracy" to a "flawed democracy." Its ranking fell from 22nd to 32nd out of 167 countries. The report cited "Korea’s declaration of martial law and the subsequent political deadlock" as major factors. While martial law itself is deeply problematic, the ruling and opposition parties' refusal to engage in cooperative governance — opting instead for a relentless cycle of political blame games — has made them complicit in the nation’s democratic regression.

Before a scheduled trilateral consultative body discussion among the ruling party, opposition party and the government, DP floor leader Park Chan-dae boycotted the meeting, demanding the appointment of Moon Eun-hyuk as a Constitutional Court justice. Meanwhile, the government and ruling party exacerbated pension reform negotiations by insisting on an automatic adjustment mechanism for the national pension system. One cannot help but wonder whether either side is genuinely concerned about the suffering of the people.

Rather than focusing on rescuing a nation besieged by crises, both the PPP and the DP appear more preoccupied with exploiting the outpouring of public anger following martial law for political gain. It is time to resist the temptation of street politics and instead pursue dialogue, compromise and pragmatic governance. Only those who embrace negotiation and concessions will earn the public’s trust — particularly that of centrist voters.

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