Amidst Political Polarization, Parties Seek to Empower Staunch Supporters
South Korea's political arena is witnessing a push by both ruling and opposition parties to bolster the political power of their party members. The parties are considering specific measures to strengthen members' rights, raising concerns that this could amplify the influence of hardcore supporters within party decision-making. The impact of these changes on the political landscape is drawing significant attention.
Some in political circles are criticizing this move, arguing that it could expand the influence of supporters with extreme political leanings, making it difficult to reflect the opinions of moderates. Yoon Tae-gon, head of political analysis at The More, analyzed that "The current Korean political structure tends to be fixated on conflicts of approval or disapproval of specific figures, rather than competition centered on policies or visions." He warned that, in this situation, the push by both parties to expand the power of party members could further deepen political polarization.
The ruling party is actively considering ways to increase the proportion of party member votes in key decisions. The party leadership maintains that it intends to expand the participation of party members and more faithfully reflect public opinion in the party's decision-making process. However, some are concerned that this attempt may only represent the voices of hardcore supporters and make it difficult to gather diverse opinions within the party.
The opposition party is also exploring ways to strengthen political participation centered on party members. In particular, it is promoting a plan to gather opinions from party members using online platforms and reflect them in the policy-making process. However, there is also criticism that this attempt could distort public opinion and undermine democracy within the party.
It has been consistently pointed out that political polarization can act as a factor that intensifies conflict throughout society. Experts emphasize that both parties should fully consider these problems when expanding the rights of party members.
Some civic groups have expressed concern about the push by both parties to expand party member rights and argued that efforts should be made to reflect the voices of various citizens in politics through political reform. They emphasized that political parties should not only represent the interests of specific supporters but should serve the interests of society as a whole. The National Assembly will vote on an arrest warrant for People Power Party Representative Choo Kyung-ho at a plenary session on November 27. The outcome of this vote may affect future political operations, and fierce debate between the ruling and opposition parties is expected.
