Breaking the cycle of political retaliation

Home > National > 2025 Presidential Election

Breaking the cycle of political retaliation

Published: 26 May. 2025, 00:00

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Printing of ballots for the 21st presidential election, scheduled for June 3, began on May 25. Election officials in Busan’s Dong District review the ballots at a printing facility in Busanjin District that morning. [SONG BONG-GEUN]

Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung recently told reporters there would be “no politically motivated retaliation targeting specific individuals” if he wins office. He added that Korea must end “politics as war,” where opponents seek to eliminate one another. Though he clarified that those involved in rebellion must still be punished, his remarks are a welcome departure from the country’s longstanding cycle of political retribution.

Political vengeance has long plagued Korea’s presidential system. In 1979, then-President Park Chung Hee orchestrated the expulsion of Kim Young-sam, the opposition party leader, from the National Assembly. Years earlier, in 1973, the state was implicated in the abduction of dissident Kim Dae-jung. While physical acts of political repression largely disappeared after democratization, the pattern of prosecuting former presidents has continued.

With the exception of Kim Young-sam and Kim Dae-jung, nearly all former presidents have faced criminal investigations or incarceration after leaving office. The imprisonment of Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye followed the Moon Jae-in administration’s drive to root out what it labeled "deep-seated evils" of past governments. More recently, prosecutors indicted former President Moon himself on bribery charges. These cases have rarely produced public apologies or remorse, but rather complaints of unfair treatment. Each wave of retribution deepens political polarization and discourages compromise.

Lee’s stated intent to break this cycle is a step in the right direction. But words alone are not enough. His approval rating has stalled in recent polls, while People Power Party candidate Kim Moon-soo has gained ground. Lee’s pledge must not be dismissed as a rhetorical move to shift momentum late in the race.

His past remarks invite scrutiny. In 2017, as a prominent figure in the early Moon administration, Lee defended the release of documents from the Park Geun-hye Blue House, saying, “If purging deep-rooted evils is political revenge, then it’s a kind of revenge we should pursue daily.” To show credibility, Lee must now go beyond statements and propose institutional mechanisms to prevent political vendettas.

With less than ten days remaining until the 21st presidential election, Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung holds his first press conference since the start of the official campaign on the morning of May 25. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

Korea’s majoritarian electoral system contributes to the problem. With a single-vote margin sufficient to win the presidency or a legislative seat, the political structure fuels zero-sum competition. This is reinforced by a concentration of power in the presidency and the dominance of two major parties.

Reform is needed. Introducing a runoff system for presidential elections could encourage coalition-building. Expanding proportional representation and revising how state subsidies are distributed to smaller parties would support political diversity. Whichever candidate wins the election must take these structural reforms seriously to end Korea’s cycle of retribution and renew its democratic foundations.

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