[Reporter’s Notebook] A Festival of 'Our Side' Without Reflection or Coexistence

A Quiet Festival Atmosphere in Bongha Village
Division Within the Democratic Party Becomes Apparent at the Memorial Service

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jun-yi] On the 23rd, the 13th anniversary memorial service for the late former President Roh Moo-hyun held in Bongha Village resembled a quiet festival scene. In the small and modest village adorned with yellow pinwheels and balloons scattered throughout the streets, about ten thousand people gathered in small groups, each commemorating the deceased in their own way. From the scenes of people softly singing along to "Sangnok-su" and reading the memorial statements with bright faces, one could feel how united and wholehearted the attendees were in remembering the "Roh Moo-hyun spirit."

However, once the event began and key figures from the Democratic Party entered, the atmosphere inside the venue changed noticeably. Cheers and applause that grew louder with the appearance of candidates Lee Jae-myung and Kim Dong-yeon turned cold with the arrival of the party leadership and former Democratic Party leader Lee Nak-yeon. Especially, sharp criticisms were directed at Standing Election Committee Chair Park Ji-hyun’s back as she left the event. Although these were affectionate pieces of advice urging her to "do well," it was clear that the responsibility for the presidential election was projected onto a few individuals. This was a stark contrast to the atmosphere of the memorial service, where former President Moon Jae-in was praised with "Well done for five years."

The scenes encountered behind the memorial service that day vividly reflected the current state of the Democratic Party after the presidential election. After the failed election, supporters vented their anger at a party that gave no answers. The Democratic Party, holding only the "spirit of Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun," failed to present any direction on what was lacking and how to move forward. Even Chair Park, who re-challenged the election just two months after the presidential election, focused more on maintaining a close fandom with supporters than on delivering a message of reform. The arrows with nowhere to go were directed at the 1996-born emergency committee chair, who bitterly advised the party that reform was necessary.

There was also a lack of inclusiveness toward the opposing party, which boldly attended the memorial service and the Gwangju 5.18 Commemoration Ceremony, claiming to "walk the path of unity." The leadership did not engage in any dialogue with the People Power Party leaders who attended the event beyond a brief greeting, and on-site, party members’ jeers and criticisms exploded with questions like "Why are you here?" Although it may have been unwelcome, since the Democratic Party has become an opposition party committed to "cooperation," shouldn’t they at least have shown an effort to move forward together with them?

As the saying goes, "The wrong answer notebook is more important than the immediate test score," what the Democratic Party and its members need now is to acknowledge failure and prepare to move forward. Statements such as "The current Democratic Party cheering for ‘Gaeddal’ looks like YouTubers dancing to super chats" (Yang Hyang-ja), "We must cut off the wrong past" (Park Ji-hyun), and "There are many things to apologize for" (Jo Eung-cheon) are not "internal bickering" but can serve as stepping stones for reform.

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