[Reading K-Politics Through Metaphor] The Dilemma of Youth Politics

“Passing the State Exam at a Young Age”
The Challenges and Stereotypes Facing Young Politicians
Aging Parliament, Scarce Youth Representation
Barriers to Entry and the Lack of a Nurturing System
Token Youth Committees, Few Independent Voices
Why Young Politicians Struggle to Grow Autonomously
Seniority Rules in the National Assembly
Why Real Influence Remains Out of Reach for the Young
Calls for Change
Building a Foundation for Youth Political Participation in South Korea

Editor's NotePoliticians who are masters of oratory often use metaphors in their speeches. They employ rhetoric as sophisticated as that of poets or eloquent speakers, practicing politics through words. Using the rhetorical devices of such politicians as a starting point, this series aims to examine how real-world politics-often described as a "living organism"-unfolds. Through this process, we plan to shed light on the inner workings and bare face of Korean politics.

On the 2nd, at the plenary session held in the National Assembly, the Partial Amendment Bill to the Transportation, Energy, and Environmental Tax Act (alternative proposal) was passed with 197 votes in favor, 16 against, and 35 abstentions out of 248 members present. Photo by Dongju Yoon doso7@

[Asia Economy, reporter Koo Chae-eun] "This is why people say that passing the state exam at a young age is a problem."

This comment was made by a Democratic Party lawmaker regarding the recent actions of former emergency committee chair Park Jihyun and party leader Lee Junseok. The implication is that when people in their 20s or 30s seize party leadership, their inexperience leads to clumsy politics. Underlying this is the criticism that "early success is dangerous."

Similar remarks are often made about young politicians. Some say, "Since none of the professors (lawmakers) are running for university president (party leader or emergency committee chair), a student (young politician) ended up in the position by chance." Others, in private conversations, go so far as to say, "No politician should even lift their head before turning 50." Metaphors such as "Mom Card Politician" (a politician who relies on parental support) and "Yeouido 2 PM Youth" (young politicians who attend political events during the day without other employment) are also frequently used to target young politicians.

Regardless of the evaluations of these two young politicians, it is true that young politicians are quantitatively rare.

According to statistics from the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) as of April 2020, the average age of South Korea's 21st National Assembly members is 54.9 years, which is high compared to other countries. Among G20 countries (lower house), the average is 58.4 years in the United States and 55.5 years in Japan. South Korea has the third "oldest parliament." In contrast, in the UK House of Commons elected in December 2019, 20 out of 650 members are in their 20s, and more than half are in their 20s to 40s.

In startups and IT companies, it is already common to see executives in their 30s and CEOs in their 40s. Even large corporations are appointing executives in their 30s. However, in the political sphere, hierarchical order based on age and number of terms remains firmly in place. It is rare to find politicians in their 20s or 30s, let alone in their 40s.

When asked why, many young politicians point to the lack of a nurturing system. Unless selected by a prominent politician, there are virtually no pathways into politics. Young politicians who are appointed to positions are structurally bound to become "obedient followers" of the powerful senior politicians who appointed them. A former member of the party's nomination management committee explained that the criteria for evaluating elected officials are based on their "life experience," so young politicians with little career history have nothing to show for evaluation. As a result, youth politics is structurally set up to fizzle out after only generating some initial heat.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Former co-chair of the Democratic Party Jihyun Park is wiping sweat while declaring her candidacy for party leader in front of the main gate of the National Assembly on the 15th. Photo by Dongju Yoon doso7@

Because of this, youth committees or university student committees in each party are often seen not as places to develop policy agendas, but simply as pools of people who can be mobilized. As a result, it is rare to see young politicians who independently engage with youth issues and grow autonomously.

Given the poor soil for youth politics, some analysts say that only by taking bold, sometimes seemingly reckless actions-like party leader Lee Junseok or former chair Park Jihyun-can young politicians barely gain influence and survive.

Furthermore, the National Assembly's culture of prioritizing the number of terms served also plays a significant role. There is a strong convention that to have a real voice in the National Assembly, one must be at least a three-term standing committee chair or a four-term senior lawmaker. At minimum, only those who are at least in their second term and serve as a standing committee secretary or key party official can express their convictions and rise to the core of political power.

This is why there are ongoing calls for efforts by each party to expand the political representation of youth. In-depth discussions are needed on ways to promote youth participation in politics-such as establishing systems for discovering young politicians within parties, lowering the minimum age for candidacy, introducing youth quotas, and reducing the election deposit for young candidates. Only then can South Korea shed the label of being a "wasteland for youth politics."

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