Political hunger strikes

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

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Wed, November 29, 2023 | 17:16

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Political hunger strikes

Posted : 2023-09-06 16:35

Updated : 2023-09-06 16:40

By Kim Ji-soo

In dynamic South Korea where past and present stand jarringly juxtaposed, the faint image of then-future President Kim Young-sam emerging weak after a 23-day hunger strike in 1983 appears in my mind. This was triggered last Thursday when main opposition leader Rep. Lee Jae-myung, chairman of the Democratic Party of Korea, said he would go on an indefinite hunger strike. He termed it as a national struggle against the "incompetent and violent" government of President Yoon Suk Yeol.

Back in 1983, Kim (1927-2015) went on a hunger strike for 23 days, asking that then-President Chun Doo-hwan lift the ban on his political activity and release him from house arrest. He was eventually released from house arrest, and his hunger strike is regarded to have led to the constitutional revision that brought about a direct presidential election in 1987. In 1990, then-future President Kim Dae-jung (1924-2009) went on a hunger strike to protest the ruling camp's moves to adopt a parliamentary Cabinet system and also demand local autonomy. Kim's ideas were accepted. The hunger strikes of the two Kims were successful non-violent political protests, which invoked guilt and empathic support from the public.

There have been other such strikes by former presidents and party leaders since then, but they were more politically motivated tactics. And Lee's latest hunger strike ― he staged one in 2016 as mayor of Seongnam to protest a possible revision to the local government's operation of its finances ― may well fall into that category.

The former presidential candidate cited the worsening livelihood, failing democracy and opposition to the release of treated radioactive water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, among others. Lee acknowledged his role in failing the Korean voters.

These reasons are all good. It is the timing and his resorting to an unusual form of political protest that raise eyebrows. The former presidential candidate has been under a series of investigations over corruption and bribery allegations against him from when he was mayor of Seongnam and governor of Gyeonggi Province. He escaped a motion for his arrest in February and possibly faces another one, thus it would be difficult for Lee to dismiss the criticism that he is on the hunger strike against another possible arrest motion.

Rep. Lee Jae-myung, chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, sits in front of the National Assembly building in Seoul, Aug. 31, during his hunger strike which he has called "national resistance." Yonhap

This sudden hunger strike prompts worries for the health of our party politics. The National Assembly is currently in its last plenary session with the current members before the nation goes to the polls next April to elect new representatives. Some 200 bills are up for vote as well as the next year's government budget, but the hunger strike will definitely put up roadblocks.

Rep. Kim Gi-hyeon, leader of the ruling People Power Party (PPP), expressed frustration that Lee was holding people's livelihood issues hostage with heightened judiciary risks. But the PPP should also ask whether it has done its role of crossing the aisles of the Assembly to resolve difficult issues. The ruling party also stands in the shadow of the president, who has been vocally expanding on his conservative views of liberalism and laying stress on ideology. In his recent meeting with PPP lawmakers, Yoon stressed the need to fight against "communist totalitarianism." The president has castigated critics of the release of treated radioactive water from Fukushima, as those who say "one plus one adds up to 100." His approval ratings in the five days from Aug. 31 to Sept. 1 tallied 35.4 percent in a Realmeter survey.

While Lee and Kim have met as respective party leaders, Yoon has not met his former presidential rival Lee since taking office in May 2022.

In Korea's hard-won democracy, constituents deserve healthy engagement between parties ― be it partisan growling and fighting over bills ― rather than a "freeze" in relations.

The writer is a member of The Korea Times editorial board.