Capable conservatives

At the National Convention, which was the legislative body during early French Revolution, the Girondins advocated moderate republican while the Mountain upheld radical one. The former sitting on the right side of the Convention and the latter on the left, the words “rightist” and “leftist” were originated. The Girondins was collapsed due to the Reign of Terror with guillotine by Maximilien Robespierre. The two factions used to be the members of a rather loose political gathering of Jacobin Club but decided to go separate ways. The Club of the Feuillants who demanded constitutional monarchy was also one of the members in the Jacobin Club but left it before the Girondins and the Mountain did. It’s fair to say that the Jacobin Club is a parent of political factions.

The right is described as the conservatives while the left the liberals. The former put the importance on the value of market, freedom and competition. When and if anyone in the conservative faction damages these values, that person is to be ousted from the fence of conservative party. Since the late President Rhee Syngman, the right has dominated the Korean politics. On top of this, the Red Complex has blocked other political color from permeating into the conservative rightists.

Immediately before the opening of the 1988 Seoul Olympics, then-Minister Kim Yong-gap of Government Administration contended to strongly deal with the radical thoughts, to conduct an interim eval‎uation or a national referendum to protect conservative values. As a writing titled “Did the right wing in this country die?” was timely came out and government agencies circulated the writing, some voiced out a possibility that the right might have been raised up against. As the Democratic Liberal Party was launched with the merge of three parties two years later, the crisis of the conservatives seemed to subside. Although the Democratic Liberal Party had repeatedly changed its name to New Korea Party, Grand National Party and again to Saenuri Party since then, little has changed with its lawmakers.

“The party will adhere to authentic conservatism for the matter of national security while reformative liberalism will be applied to the issues of economy, labor and welfare,” lawmaker Yoo Seung-min of reform progressive party said. Having proposed the Law on Social Economy last year, Yoo was branded as a “betrayer” from the conservative rightists. Yoo’s party retorted that the rights have failed to witness the qualitative changes such as polarization, calling them “vested conservatives.” Now that Mayor Lee Jae-myung of Seongnam City is calling himself a rightist, it is hoped that the meaning of the rightists is defined all again. Rather than pointing a finger, calling “genuine conservatives” or “fake ones” for the purpose of politics, the real conservatives should be able to make an accurate reality check and suggest tailored solutions for the reality.

leej@donga.com