Jung Min-ho has worked as a staff writer at The Korea Times since 2012, mostly covering social and political issues. He currently belongs to the Politics & City Desk where he covers topics such as health, labor and human rights. Prior to joining the team, he was responsible for covering North Korea and sports. His article about a biosecurity breach of Middle East respiratory syndrome won him an award from the Korea Science Journalists Association in 2016. He is also the co-author of the book, "Medical Pioneers of Korea" (2019). He served as the head of the international relations committee at the Journalists Association of Korea from 2021 to 2023.
Democratic socialism spreads to South Korean politics
Yang Kyung-kyu faces Rep. Sim Sang-jeung during a TV debate Monday for the leadership of the Justice Party. Yang is the first South Korean politician to declare himself a "democratic socialist." Yonhap
By Jung Min-ho
By Jung Min-ho
Four years after Bernie Sanders made his case for “democratic socialism” in U.S. politics, a South Korean politician has declared himself a “democratic socialist.”
Yang Kyung-kyu, 59, who is competing against Rep. Sim Sang-jeung for leadership of the minor opposition Justice Party, has vowed to fight for ordinary people and resolve social inequality issues and injustices.
During TV debates on Monday and early Wednesday morning, Yang, former vice chief of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, the second-largest umbrella labor group in the nation, said the party failed to bring fundamental changes to the lives of ordinary people with “the same old messages.”
“It is important how we identify ourselves as a party,” he said during Monday's debate. “I use the term of democratic socialism to clearly show voters what we try to achieve as a society and how to solve its problems.
“For example, our party promised to fight for affordable housing for everyone and we did so, but only in a limited way. In the view of democratic socialism, one person, in principle, can only have one house and must pay enormous taxes for additional houses the person owns.”
But other than the housing policy, Yang did not specifically say what his vision entails.
In a statement he released on June 13, he said he would press ahead with three objectives ― “green transition” and solving the problems of housing and ever-growing income disparity ― and come up with concrete policies later.
In a country that is still technically at war with North Korea, which is ruled by its own version of communism and socialism, it was a bold statement.
“Who fears socialism?" Yang said. “Why would we fear a new idea of changing a society where injustices and inequalities are rampant? I will say loud and clear which direction our party should take. The Justice Party under my leadership will pursue socialism.”