Hostage politics, tarnished conservatism

Home > Opinion > Columns

Hostage politics, tarnished conservatism

Published: 14 May. 2025, 00:02 Updated: 14 May. 2025, 14:48

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Ahn Hai-ri

The author is an editorial writer of the JoongAng Ilbo.

As election season intensifies, social media feeds in Korea are once again filled with campaign memes and recycled sound bites. One image recently caught my attention: a quote from former Democratic Party (DP) campaign co-chair Park Young-sun during the 2017 presidential race, reading, “In Daegu, voting No. 1 is a habit — do it again this time.” The “No. 1" in that election belonged to DP candidate Moon Jae-in. The meme was seemingly reposted to mock the conservative stronghold of Daegu. A commenter replied: “Then Jeolla should vote No. 2 out of habit too,” referencing the conservative People Power Party (PPP) candidate Kim Moon-soo, who is now listed second on the ballot.

This composite photo shows, from left, Lee Jae-myung, presidential candidate of the Democratic Party, People Power Party presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo and Lee Jun-seok, presidential candidate of the minor New Reform Party. [YONHAP]

This tongue-in-cheek exchange seemed to capture the sad irony of Korea’s political tribalism — regional loyalty masquerading as ideological commitment. But more troubling than the old regional divides is the realization that, in 2025, all Korean voters may now be hostages in a dysfunctional political system.

For decades, the country’s two dominant parties have taken turns exploiting regional loyalties. In every election cycle, they pay symbolic homage to “the heart of conservatism” in Daegu and “the sacred ground of democratization” in Gwangju. But after extracting loyal bloc votes from these regions through fear-based appeals and calls for “strategic voting,” both sides routinely turn their backs. The consequences are visible: Daegu’s per capita GDP has trailed the national average for 30 years, while Gwangju, still without a major shopping complex, had to beg for economic development as a campaign promise in 2022. Local corruption thrives under this de facto one-party rule, unchecked by meaningful oversight from either the executive or legislative branches.

This is the cost of “hostage politics.” And amid deepening political polarization and an ongoing economic crisis, this pattern now extends beyond Daegu and Gwangju to the entire country.

The DP, under candidate Lee Jae-myung, has faced criticism for its excessive use of impeachment motions and efforts to pressure the judiciary, with critics warning of executive paralysis and judicial capture. Yet it is the PPP's recent actions that stand out as a textbook case of hostage politics at its worst — especially for voters who still believe in traditional conservative values.

On May 10, the PPP’s emergency steering committee abruptly nullified the nomination of its democratically selected presidential candidate, Kim Moon-soo. In what resembled a covert military operation more than a political decision, the party accepted former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo’s membership and candidate registration simultaneously during a tightly controlled one-hour window in the early morning hours. Han, who had not participated in the party primary — and was not even a party member — was rushed in as a substitute candidate, despite his association with former President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was impeached. The move backfired spectacularly, resulting in public embarrassment and a sharp loss of trust.

The architect of the attempted candidate swap, PPP floor leader Kweon Seong-dong, went so far as to call Kim’s candidacy “petty,” further alienating many conservative voters. After the failed maneuver, Kweon and other lawmakers pivoted quickly, reverting to the familiar playbook of fearmongering. Within hours of being appointed co-chair of the campaign, Kweon declared, “It’s Kim Moon-soo or Lee Jae-myung — this is a war for the Republic of Korea.”

People Power Party presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo and independent contender Han Duck-soo greet each other after a meeting on a potential candidacy merger at a café inside the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on May 8. [NEWS1]

The irony is striking. By resorting to backroom deals, violating internal procedures, and disregarding basic standards of transparency, the PPP leadership has betrayed the very principles conservatives claim to uphold: procedural legitimacy, rule of law and moral consistency. To now invoke “anti-Lee Jae-myung” sentiment to rally support, as if nothing happened, only deepens the public’s cynicism.

In the midst of the debacle, Kim Moon-soo has been recast — from a staunch pro-Yoon figure who once opposed Yoon’s impeachment, to a political survivor with a newfound image as a victim of party infighting. Yet even Kim has failed to make a clean break with the past. In a belated statement on May 12, he offered a vague apology regarding the issue of martial law but did not distance himself from former President Yoon Suk Yeol or Pastor Jun Kwang-hoon, who has been linked to calls for violent resistance and judicial intimidation.

Despite this, the PPP insists that conservatives must rally behind Kim to avoid “splitting the right-wing vote.” But conservatives are right to ask: Is this party still worthy of the label? Does it deserve conservative votes simply by invoking ideological loyalty? The answer is no. Those votes were never theirs to own.

People Power Party's presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo takes a bow at his supporters during his election campaign held on May 12 in Daegu. [NEWS1]

This is why many conservatives are now turning to alternative candidates like Lee Jun-seok of the Reform Party. If a party fails to respect its own procedures, suppresses internal dissent and insults its own nominee — only to demand loyalty in the name of unity — it has lost the moral right to lead.

The danger of hostage politics is that it erodes not only public trust but the very foundations of democratic choice. When every election becomes a binary of fear — “vote for us or risk national collapse” — then meaningful political alternatives disappear. The public is reduced to pawns in a rigged game, trapped between cynicism and resignation.

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