Yoon sharpens anti-communist rhetoric to appeal to conservatives

President Yoon Suk Yeol gives a speech at a ceremony marking the 60th anniversary of the Korea National Diplomatic Academy, Sept. 1. Joint Press Corps

President's far-right stance likely to alienate moderate voters ahead of April election: analysts

By Lee Hyo-jin

After expressing a staunch anti-communist stance in his National Liberation Day speech on Aug. 15, President Yoon Suk Yeol has been explicitly underscoring that sentiment in recent weeks.

During the Aug. 15 speech ― in which he used the term “communist” eight times ― Yoon lashed out at “anti-state forces” that “blindly follow communist totalitarianism” and urged the public not to be deceived by such groups.

When he met with new leaders of the Peaceful Unification Advisory Council on Aug. 29, Yoon stressed their role in defending liberal democracy from “communist totalitarian forces that are engaging in psychological warfare to disturb the free society.”

The president reaffirmed his assertive stance in another speech on Sept. 1 during a ceremony to mark the 60th anniversary of the Korea National Diplomatic Academy.

Saying that the nation's freedom is under constant threat from “communist totalitarian forces and their opportunist followers,” he criticized that such groups are triggering anti-Japanese sentiment and undermining the strengthened trilateral partnership between Korea, the United States and Japan.

While liberal lawmakers criticized Yoon's remarks, likening them to former President Park Chung-hee, a former military general and staunch anti-communist, political analysts viewed that the president appears to be rallying conservative voters ahead of next year's parliamentary elections.

Yoon, who is still struggling to broaden his political support base, seems to have opted to veer further right in order to consolidate the backing of conservative forces ― his primary support base ― ahead of the general election slated for next April, according to Park Chang-hwan, a professor at Jangan University.

However, Park said, “Such a strategy, which reminds many Koreans of the outdated tactics in domestic politics of labeling their opponents as communists, will alienate moderates and the younger generation.”

According to the latest poll conducted by Realmeter released on Monday, Yoon's approval rating stood at 35.4 percent, down 2.2 percentage points from a week earlier. The largest decline in his approval rating came from respondents in their 20s, down by 9.8 percentage points.

The drop in the positive assessment was attributable to a recent controversy over the government's decision to move a bust of independence fighter Hong Beom-do outside of its current location at the Korea Military Academy, according to analysts at Realmeter.

Despite strong public backlash, the Yoon administration decided to move the bust, citing the independence fighter's involvement with the Soviet Communist Party.

Park said that lawmakers of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) are cautious about expressing support for the president's far-right messages.

“The PPP has to appeal to the large share of moderate voters in order to win the (general) election, so it is refraining from adopting extreme positions,” he said.

Hahm Sung-deuk, an expert in presidential politics and a professor at Kyonggi University Graduate School of Political Studies, was also critical of Yoon's strategy.

“The president seems to have his own philosophy about state affairs and is apparently trying to solidify it within his support base, but he should always keep in mind that the other blocs do not share the same opinion,” he said.

Hahm also commented that Yoon's “overly candid” style of speech may be perceived by the public as lacking the ability to embrace diverse perspectives. He advised the prosecutor-turned-president to adopt a “mellower tone” when addressing the public.

“Considering that the president's repeated remarks (about communist totalitarianism) are becoming bolder, these reflect his personal beliefs and philosophy, rather than those of his aides or advisers,” political commentator Rhee Jong-hoon said.

“I'm beginning to think that the president shares the same views with the New Right,” he added, referring to the group of far-right-wing conservative scholars.