"Is the Cause of Conservative Defeat Harsh Words? No"... Asking the Future of Conservatives in Crisis

[Asia Economy Reporters Lee Ji-eun and Kim Hye-min] "Controversies over harsh remarks? That wasn't a big issue. Whether ruling or opposition parties, sometimes there are strange people. The fundamental cause was that instead of sharply criticizing the ruling party's mistakes and presenting alternatives, there was no visible will to 'fight and seize power'." (Former National Assembly Speaker Park Kwan-yong)

84 constituency seats. The United Future Party, which ambitiously started by advocating the unification of the broad conservative camp, achieved this result in the recent general election. Even including satellite parties, barely surpassing the constitutional amendment blocking threshold, this dismal score shows that the people judged the opposition, not the ruling party, in this election. Why were those who vowed to "judge the Moon Jae-in administration's failures" themselves judged? We asked conservative elders and experts about the causes of the United Future Party's downfall, which represented conservatism.

In an interview with Asia Economy on the 22nd, former Speaker Park diagnosed the overall problem of the conservative camp as "lack of critical power and no visible enthusiasm to fight and seize power." He said, "The opposition should have traveled nationwide criticizing 'the Moon administration's failures.' I have never seen such lecture meetings. There was a lack of effort to explain to the public why they should take power," raising his voice, "They seem to think that maintaining the party's existence and filling a moderate number of parliamentary seats is enough to fulfill their role."

Although the 'harsh remarks controversy' did have some impact, former Speaker Park saw a more fundamental problem in the 'party's ability to present alternatives.' He pointed out, "The opposition did nothing. They lacked the strength to engage in 'political struggle' by pointing out the Moon administration's faults and presenting alternatives like 'this is what we will do.' Did the opposition gather people and give speeches at Gwanghwamun? No, civic groups did."

Although the United Future Party is considered the representative conservative force, there were voices questioning whether it truly represented conservative values. Park Sang-byeong, a visiting professor at Inha University Graduate School of Policy, drew a line by saying, "If you ask whether this election was a fight between conservatives and progressives, it was not." Professor Park said, "It is ambiguous to call the United Future Party conservative. Their support base includes Yeongnam region, people over 60, wealthy Seoul residents, conservative thinkers, and Park Geun-hye supporters, who can be called conservative within the camp, but there are many who cannot be grouped as conservatives. Where is the conservative politician who says everyone should receive support payments?"

In the past, politics was centered on the 'conservative-progressive' ideology, but the advice is that future politics should be policy-centered. Professor Park said, "Although conservative and progressive ideologies have lost power, conservative and progressive values still exist in policies. By shifting to centrist policies, sometimes if the majority of the people want it, they should be able to raise their voices before the Democratic Party of Korea."

Professor Yoon Pyeong-jung of Hanshin University also pointed out that the existing conservative vested interests are biased toward plebeian capitalism and Cold War anti-communism, which are far from the 'public good (公共善).' He criticized the absence of the philosophy of public good, which emphasizes the value and interest of the state or society rather than the individual. Professor Yoon also emphasized that conservatives should take the lead in 'noblesse oblige (the social responsibility of the elite).' He advised, "Dedication and sacrifice for the public, leading by example, and responsible pursuit of freedom are core virtues of conservatism. The United Future Party must undergo a fundamental reorganization equivalent to dissolution, the leadership must be renewed with smart young generations centered in the metropolitan area, and instead of ideological offensives, they must prove themselves as a practical policy party."

Professor Kim Hyung-jun of Myongji University advised that the United Future Party failed to read the spirit of the times and should take the path of 'progressive right-wing' rather than 'conservative right-wing.' He said, "The values that progressives pursue require a shift in the spirit of the times that can embrace rather than just oppose. The values of ordinary people should not be monopolized by progressives. It is essential to discard the image of a Yeongnam, Gangnam, wealthy party and achieve a definite generational change."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.