Conservative party hit for taking after Japan

By Park Ji-won

After losing ground in the June local elections, the largest conservative party of Liberty Korea Party (LKP) is trying find a breakthrough by promoting its new agenda. However, the party is apparently taking controversial steps to do so, possibly because of its lack of countermeasures over sensitive issues.

A recent political conference organized by its lawmaker drew some attention as the event was held at the time of the reappointment of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the last day of the third inter-Korean summit in Pyongyang.

On Sept. 20, Rep. Na Kyung-won, chief of the party reform committee, held an Assembly conference titled “Regaining political power of Japan's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the establishment of an Abe-centered LDP first system.”

Na invited Seoul National University professor Park Cheol-hee, whose major is Japanese politics, to give an open lecture to the LKP members about the Japanese ruling party's tactics to recover from their failures and become the ruling party again, according to Park.

“It is not about the party's aims or anything. It is very simple. Japan's LDP lost power and regained it. The LKP wants to retrieve its own power and study the Japanese case. That's it,” Park said.

The LKP has been struggling with low popularity since last year when President Park Geun-hye was impeached over a corruption scandal. The LKP's approval rate was below 20 percent while that of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) reached 40 percent.

Rep. Na Kyung-won of the main opposition Liberty Party of Korea presides over a seminar titled “Regaining political power of Japan's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the establishment of Abe-centered LDP first system,” Sept. 20. / Courtesy of Na Kyung-won

LKP lawmakers, some citizens and reporters attended the seminar where the professor claimed the Japanese party's improved approval rating came because of “tireless efforts” to reform the party under the agenda of “new conservatism,” according to Na's website.

However, in the country where anti-Japan sentiment is sporadically surfacing, Na's seminar drew criticism for its so-called pro-Japanese subject on the same day Japan's Abe was re-elected as the LDP's head and the last day of the inter-Korean summit.

Rep. Chun Jae-soo of the DPK criticized her on Twitter saying, “There was a conference of the LKP's reform committee. But the subject is 'regaining political power of Japan's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the establishment of an Abe-centered LDP first system.' Isn't it absurd?”

Dozens of online petitions, which though only earned a small number of signatures, were submitted to ask for the disbandment of the LKP and dismissal of Na saying they are not qualified as politicians as they are anti-patriotic.

Negative comments, meanwhile, were posted after the seminar received a lukewarm response.

Na immediately refuted the criticism, saying “it was simply to study the direction for South Korean conservatives by learning the histories of conservative parties. And it is not a pro-Japanese move.”

“I hope the conservative party's efforts will not be defamed as the seminar was aimed at diversifying South Korea's party politics and democracy. The committee is having various discussions regarding the right direction for party reform.”

Earlier in August, a Japanese delegation led by the LDP's Secretary General Toshihiro Nikai visited South Korea and had a private meeting with the LKP's interim leader and reform committee members to discuss ways to boost parliamentary exchanges and reform the troubled LKP.

Systematic insensitivity

In the background of the controversy, some point out the LKP's risk management process no longer works and it is making poor decisions in running the party.

Since last year's impeachment, the conservative party has continued to reduce its employees due to decreasing financial funding from citizens and government subsidies.

Last week, the party conducted a minor reshuffle and organizational reforms getting rid of key departments such as international affairs.

Na didn't get proper advice for holding such events from the party members which was somewhat expected to provoke criticism among citizens when dealing with Japanese content, said insiders.

“If she were advised by the party members who deal with international affairs, the seminar could have received less harsh reactions from the people,” an LKP insider said.

“It seems she didn't think deeply about public reactions.”

Some critics say the LKP should be more cautious about its behavior.

“Through a personal study or group, the LKP should take things more seriously as there are many lessons (to get over political difficulties) throughout history,” said Lee Jin-gon, a professor of political science at Kyung Hee University.

“It seems the party still thinks it can stay idle. More consideration should have been made regarding what people would think about these remarks and their impact.”

“Historically, Japan has been harsh to South Korea. So people can be expected to have a conditioned response against Japan. The LKP should have considered this.”

Some critics, meanwhile, pointed out that the people's immediate and negative reaction over the issue is problematic.

“It is the people's habitual criticism. Why can't we learn anything from Japan? (The LKP) just wants to find ways to reconstruct the failed party,” said Kim Hyung-joon, a politics professor at Myongji University.

“There is the coined term post-truth in the Oxford Dictionaries. People tend to see what they want to see amid overwhelming information. Some people, for example, want to believe Na is a pro-Japanese collaborator. It is distorting public opinion and becoming an enemy to democracy.”

Other critics say it is part of rhetoric that links conservatives with pro-Japanese collaborators.

“South Korea connects conservatives to pro-Japan sentiment. (The criticism is) based on those tendencies,” said Shin Yul, a politics professor at Myongji University.

“It could be problematic if the people had discussed the ideological direction and peace constitution. If the seminar is not about pro-Japan content, there is nothing wrong with studying a party. The people's criticism is going backward and a logical leap in the wrong direction saying nobody should discuss anything about Japan.

“This tendency is hard to get over because, in Korea, the people with the louder voices are considered as telling the truth.”