"Self-Privilege" vs "Victim Honor": Ruling and Opposition Clash Again Over Democratic Merit Act

Opposition Revives Democratic Merit Law Proposed 2 Years Ago
"Not Targeting Lawmakers, Distortion of Facts" Explanation Fails to End Controversy
Ruling Party Criticizes as "Activist Self-Privilege Law... Attempt at 'Legal Jo Guk'"

Woo Sang-ho, Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the Democratic Party of Korea, and Representative Woo Won-shik are leaving the tent protest site of the National Ethnic Democratic Bereaved Families Association and the Democratic Meritorious Persons Legislation Promotion Group, who have been on a sit-in strike for nine months, in front of the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 21st. Photo by srbaek@yna.co.kr [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Yunjin Kim] The Democratic Party of Korea announced that it will once again push for the enactment of the "Act on the Treatment of Democratic Meritorious Persons (Democratic Meritorious Persons Act)," which was twice stalled in the 21st National Assembly. While the People Power Party is strongly opposing the bill, alleging "self-compensation for activists," the Democratic Party is countering by calling it a "distortion of facts."

On the 20th, Democratic Party lawmaker Woo Won-sik held a press conference at the National Assembly urging the passage of the Democratic Meritorious Persons Act during the regular session. Woo said, "Honoring those who sacrificed themselves fighting against injustice institutionally and legally goes beyond personal honor; it recognizes the institutional value of the democratization movement and will firmly root democracy," expressing his determination to pass the bill within this year. A total of 175 lawmakers, including 164 from the Democratic Party except five, and 11 from the Justice Party, Basic Income Party, and independents, signed a petition to promote the bill.

The Democratic Meritorious Persons Act aims to provide support such as education, employment, medical care, and loans to the deceased, missing persons, injured, and their bereaved families or relatives involved in the democratization movement. Its purpose is to offer recognition and support as meritorious persons not only to those designated under the Act on Persons of Distinguished Service to the State and the Act on Persons of Distinguished Service for the May 18 Democratic Uprising, such as contributors to the April 19 Revolution and the May 18 Democratic Movement, but also to those who participated in democratization movements like the June Democratic Uprising. Woo first introduced a bill with these contents as the main sponsor in September 2020 and has resumed efforts after two years.

The contentious issues in the bill are "self-compensation" and fairness. Opponents of the Democratic Meritorious Persons Act argue that lawmakers who participated in the democratization movement are pushing the bill to benefit themselves directly. Yang Geum-hee, the floor spokesperson for the People Power Party, criticized the bill as a "self-benefit law for activists" in a statement on the 20th, saying, "They should keep in mind that pushing a self-benefit law denies those who genuinely took to the streets shouting for 'democracy' and immediately stop the legislation."

In response, Woo emphasized, "The law treats as meritorious only 136 deceased or missing persons and 693 injured persons who have been recognized as related to the democratization movement," stressing that no current lawmakers fall under this category. Unlike the bill with the same name introduced by lawmaker Seol Hoon the following year, Woo’s 2020 bill excludes "those convicted due to democratization activities," thus narrowing the scope of beneficiaries. Woo Sang-ho, the Democratic Party’s emergency committee chairman, told reporters on the 21st, "There is a rumor that all activists will benefit, but it is actually those who sacrificed or were tortured during the democratization movement. If this is well explained, the People Power Party will understand."

There are also criticisms that support such as tuition exemption and employment bonus points for families of democratic meritorious persons undermines fairness. According to the bill, spouses or children of democratic meritorious persons are fully exempt from tuition fees for middle school, high school, and university, and receive 5% or 10% bonus points in public or private sector employment depending on their relationship with the meritorious person. Woo explained, "Most of the deceased activists died unmarried and without children. If anyone benefits, it would be a few severely disabled or injured persons, and exaggerating this is excessive," adding, "This issue arose by citing provisions from other meritorious persons’ laws." In fact, the education and employment support provisions in the Democratic Meritorious Persons Act are identical to those in the Act on Persons of Distinguished Service to the State and the Act on Persons of Distinguished Service for the May 18 Democratic Uprising.

However, the ruling party is strongly criticizing the bill as damaging the fairness of admissions and recruitment. Kwon Seong-dong, acting leader and floor leader of the People Power Party, said at a floor strategy meeting on the 22nd, "The Democratic Party’s reflection on the Cho Kuk (former Minister of Justice) incident is not a reflection on illegal privileges but an attempt to legalize privileges," and urged, "Stop trying to become a legal 'Cho Kuk'." Im Hyung-bin, senior deputy spokesperson for the People Power Party, pointed out in a statement on the 20th, "The bill’s name should be changed to the 'Youth Deprivation Law'."

Despite the ruling party’s opposition, the Democratic Party remains firm on enacting the Democratic Meritorious Persons Act. On the 21st, after meeting members of the National Ethnic Democratic Bereaved Families Association who are conducting a tent sit-in to urge the bill’s passage, Woo said, "We are willing to sufficiently revise the bill to reach an agreement with the People Power Party," but added, "I hope revisions do not undermine the main framework of recognizing those who were sacrificed by public authority, injured by torture, or suffering disabilities as national meritorious persons."

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