Conservatives Also Draw the Line at 'Baekgoldan'... "Democratic Party Seizure Button?" Suggests Keeping the Name

"Activities Will Continue Regardless of Name Change"
"Does the Democratic Party Hate the Baekgoldan Because of Ties to Spy Groups?"

The anti-communist youth group supporting President Yoon Suk-yeol, known as the "Baekgoldan," has hinted at the possibility of retaining its name.

On the 12th, according to related industry sources, Kim Jeong-hyun, the leader of the anti-communist youth group (Baekgoldan), stated on his Telegram the day before, "There have been suggestions from some members about changing the name, and it is currently under internal review."

Kim Min-jeon, a member of the People Power Party, is introducing the 'Anti-Communist Youth Group' at the National Assembly Communication Hall in Yeouido, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 9th. [Image source: National Assembly Policy Video Platform capture]

The anti-communist youth group, which held a rally to defend President Yoon’s residence, became embroiled in a naming controversy after Kim Min-jeon, a member of the People Power Party, organized a press conference for the Baekgoldan’s launch at the National Assembly on the 9th.

The Baekgoldan was a plainclothes riot police unit that suppressed democratization movements in the 1980s and 1990s. It was notorious for its violent and ruthless methods of quelling protests. Due to this historical background, not only progressive groups but also conservative-leaning online communities and some conservative organizations hosting rallies supporting President Yoon have sought to distance themselves from the group.

In response, Representative Kim withdrew the press conference citing pressure from other supporters of President Yoon, and the planned launch ceremony and parade in front of the presidential residence were also canceled. As criticism spread, the number of Baekgoldan executives and members reportedly decreased from about 80 to the 50s.

However, Kim Jeong-hyun argued, "If you look into why the Baekgoldan emerged amid the controversy, there will be some parts that are somewhat understandable."

He questioned, "Can the Democratic Party be considered better than the Baekgoldan?" and claimed, "It was not Representative Kim Min-jeon who called the Baekgoldan to the National Assembly, but the Democratic Party that drove the Republic of Korea into a national emergency." He also defended the group by saying, "Although the Baekgoldan is known among university students who participated in democratization movements as a notorious police organization, it cannot be denied that it was a necessary organization for social stability."

Additionally, Kim posted on Facebook the same afternoon that "I am inclined to keep the Baekgoldan name," suggesting the possibility of withdrawing the name change review.

A post by Kim Jeong-hyun, representative of the Anti-Communist Youth Group, on Facebook [Image source=Screenshot from Kim Jeong-hyun, representative of the Anti-Communist Youth Group's Facebook]

Kim said, "Is the Baekgoldan’s summoning to the National Assembly the Democratic Party’s seizure button? The national policy of the Republic of Korea is anti-communism. I strongly suspect that the hatred of 'anti-communism' and 'Baekgol' might be linked to connections with spy groups."

He added, "Our leadership was originally considering changing the Baekgoldan’s name, but seeing the Democratic Party’s convulsions like this makes me think we should keep the name."

Furthermore, he stated, "The entity wielding absolute power in the Republic of Korea is not the president but the Democratic Party," emphasizing, "The first thing President Yoon should do upon returning to duty is to file a petition for the dissolution of the Democratic Party."

Finally, Kim concluded his statement by strongly condemning the Democratic Party’s parliamentary dictatorship rampage, which jointly submitted a resolution urging the expulsion of Representative Kim Min-jeon, saying, "Our Baekgoldan (Anti-Communist Youth Group) strongly denounces the Democratic Party’s parliamentary dictatorship rampage."

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