Lee Jae-myung, leader of South Korea's largest opposition Democratic Party, the Democratic Party, has been on hunger strike since August 31 to protest the "tyranny" of Yoon Seok-wook's government, demanding that the president apologize, oppose Japan's nuclear sewage discharge, and reshuffle the cabinet. However, instead of responding to Lee's demands, Yoon's government approved a prosecutor's warrant for his arrest on the 19th day of his hunger strike. The move sparked a backlash from the Democratic Party of Korea, which passed a bill to remove Prime Minister Han Deok-so in parliament on September 21 and announced a total boycott of the agenda of the National Assembly's standing committee. In addition, the leadership of the party's parliament also resigned en masse, saying that it would fight a "life-and-death battle" with Yoon's government. This has undoubtedly heightened tensions in South Korean politics and made Yoon's government face an unprecedented crisis.
So, will this incident cause a new round of political crisis? In order to answer this question, we need to analyze from the following aspects:
First, the background and impact of Lee Zaiming's hunger strike
Lee Jae-myung is one of South Korea's most influential opposition leaders and a candidate seen as "Moon's successor." He has served as mayor of Seongnam City and governor of Gyeonggi Province, and has a high popular approval rating. He launched a hunger strike to express his dissatisfaction and distrust of Yoon Seok-yue's government. He believes that the Yoon Seok-yue government has undermined people's livelihood and democracy, lacks due attitude towards the discharge of nuclear sewage into the sea in Japan, and has serious dereliction of duty and corruption among cabinet members. He hopes that through the hunger strike, the awakening and unity of the people will be aroused and the government will be promoted.
Lee Jae-myung's hunger strike has aroused widespread concern and discussion in South Korean society. On the one hand, there are many people who support Lee's actions, believing that he is a politician with conscience and courage to defend South Korea's democracy and sovereignty. They visited Li Zaiming at the hunger strike site or in the hospital, bringing him flowers and condolences. On the other hand, there are also many people who oppose Lee's actions, believing that he is an irresponsible and selfish politician to evade the prosecutor's investigation into his alleged corruption case. They accused Lee of using the hunger strike as a political tool to sow social division and chaos.
In any case, Lee's hunger strike has become a ticking time bomb on the South Korean political scene. If Lee's life is in danger or prosecutors arrest him as a result of a hunger strike, the Democratic Party and its supporters could take more drastic action and even spark massive demonstrations and clashes. If Yoon's government continues to ignore Lee's demands or take tough measures, the functioning of the National Assembly and the administration of the government may be paralyzed and deadlocked, leading to a further deepening of South Korea's political crisis.
Second, the situation and response of the Yin Xiyue government
Mr. Yoon, South Korea's president, was elected in a fierce election in February, the second progressive president after Mr. Moon. Since taking office, he has faced multiple internal and external challenges, including the coronavirus pandemic, economic recession, social injustice, the North Korean nuclear issue, and Sino-US relations. He once promised to build a government that is "communicative, united and inclusive", but in fact he has been met with a lot of criticism and opposition. His approval rating has also dropped from a peak of 60 percent to around 40 percent currently.
The attitude of the Yoon Seok-yue government towards Lee's hunger strike was very tough and indifferent. He himself did not offer any kind of condolences or response to Lee Jae-myung, and even approved an arrest warrant for Lee during his attendance at the UN General Assembly in New York. His cabinet members did not show any sincerity or compromise, but instead taunted and attacked Lee. His ruling party, the National Power Party, did not engage in any effective communication or consultation with the opposition parties, but instead engaged in fierce confrontation with the Democratic Party.
The reasons for this may be as follows: First, he believes that Lee Jae-myung's hunger strike is a political operation, to evade judicial trial and win the support of voters, and is not worth facing or compromised. Second, he fears that if he makes concessions or shows weakness to Li Zaiming, it will damage the authority and image of himself and the ruling party, and will also weaken his determination and ability to promote political and social reform. Third, he may have been influenced or pressured by prosecutors and conservatives to dare or be unwilling to reach a reconciliation or compromise with Lee.
However, the consequences of Yoon's government doing so could be very serious. First, he may lose more popular support and trust, leading to a further decline in his own support and that of the ruling party, and even triggering public anger and dissatisfaction. Second, he may exacerbate the division and deadlock in the National Assembly, resulting in the inability of himself and the ruling party to smoothly advance important bills and policies, and to effectively respond to various challenges and crises at home and abroad. Third, he may intensify social confrontation and conflict, leading to more violence and turmoil in South Korean society, and even triggering a new round of political crisis.
3. South Korea's political outlook and prospects
South Korea's political turmoil has escalated, and Lee Jae-myung's hunger strike has caused turmoil in the National Assembly, can Yoon Seok-yue's government tide over the difficulties? This is a difficult question to answer. So far, neither side appears to have shown any willingness or signs of détente or compromise, but is instead taking tougher and more aggressive action. This may lead to a deeper quagmire in South Korean politics, and may also bring greater harm and harm to Korean society.
Therefore, we believe that Korean politics needs to find a way out and a solution as soon as possible. Both the Yoon Seok-yue government and Lee Jae-myung should put aside their own interests and positions, put the interests of the country and the nation first, take the principles of democracy and the rule of law as the basis, and use dialogue and consultation as a means to seek a reasonable and acceptable compromise and consensus. Only in this way can South Korean politics be prevented from falling into a greater crisis and peace and stability can be restored to Korean society.
This article only represents the author's personal views, fully draws on and refers to the information and opinions on the Internet, do not like it. If you have different opinions or unique opinions, welcome to leave a comment.
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