Jung Junho: "Politics Must Regain Its Role in Mediating Social Conflicts"

Forum Held at the National Assembly on Overcoming the Crisis of Insurrection
Experts Discuss the Future of Democracy and the Need for Political Reform

Democratic Party lawmaker Junho Jung held a forum on the 20th at the National Assembly Members' Office Building titled "How to Overcome the Threat of Insurrection," aiming to explore ways to restore democracy after the insurrection incident. Provided by the office of Junho Jung

On the 20th, Representative Jung Junho of the Democratic Party of Korea (Gwangju Buk-gu Gap) held a forum titled "The Past, Present, and Future of Democracy Without Politics: How Can We Overcome the Crisis of Insurrection?" at the National Assembly Members' Office Building in Yeouido, Seoul.

The forum, co-hosted by the Forum for Fairness and Peace (co-chairs Kim Jonghyun and Cho Jaehee), was organized to seek ways to overcome extreme politics that destroy not only social cohesion but also constitutional order, and to restore healthy democracy after an insurrection crisis.

The keynote presentations were delivered by Park Sanghoon, former research fellow at the National Assembly Futures Institute, and Kang Woojin, professor in the Department of Political Science and International Relations at Kyungpook National University. The panel discussion featured Oh Dongseok, professor at Ajou University Law School; Park Hyunseok, research fellow at the National Assembly Futures Institute; Park Hyuk, research fellow at the Democracy Institute; Park Taesoon, director of Media Road; and Kim Hyuk, former administrator at the Blue House, who engaged in a vigorous debate.

In his presentation, research fellow Park emphasized, "Polarized politics, deepening conflict among the three branches of government, and the concentration and isolation of power in the presidential office have transformed the current presidential system into a structure that cannot achieve institutionalization or stability," adding, "It is urgent to transition to a pluralistic democratic society and politics that peacefully integrate diverse demands."

Regarding the recent discussions on constitutional amendment, he pointed out, "Rewriting the Constitution is not the only solution; making politics function as true politics is more important, and perhaps that is the best constitutional reform. We need to reflect on this."

Professor Kang assessed, "The December 3 insurrection led by the president has evolved into a soft civil war between forces defending democratic constitutional order and those seeking to support it," and stressed, "It is necessary to build a broad democratic coalition to marginalize far-right anti-system forces."

He further stated, "Debates over an imperial presidency alone cannot properly diagnose the complex nature of the crisis in Korean democracy," and pointed out, "Comprehensive institutional reforms are needed to institutionalize the resilience of democratic restoration, such as strengthening parliamentary representation and decentralization."

Representative Jung, who hosted the forum, said, "Insurrection must be punished as insurrection, but what concerns us is the future of our society after such events. Politics must both cut off extremism and reclaim its role in mediating and integrating social conflicts."

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