Opposition leader should go beyond symbolism
Kim Chong-in, interim leader of the main opposition United Future Party (UFP), stole the spotlight Wednesday by kneeling down and bowing his head for about 15 seconds in front of a memorial tower at the May 18 National Cemetery in Gwangju.
He paid his respects to those who lost their lives during the 1980 Gwangju pro-democracy movement. He also apologized for denial, distortion and denigration of the movement by some of his party members. Furthermore, he begged for forgiveness from the victims and the people of the southwestern city, a symbol of South Korea's democratization and liberal politics.
We view Kim's act of kneeling and his apology positively, even though it came too late. It is reminiscent of former German Chancellor Willy Brandt who knelt before a monument to the Nazi-era Warsaw Ghetto Uprising during his visit to Poland Dec. 7, 1970. Brandt's gesture of humility and penance made headlines across the world. It is still remembered as a true apology for Germany's World War II atrocities.
We hope Kim's gesture, which came as a surprise, will help heal the wounds of bereaved families and Gwangju citizens. We also want to see Kim and his party boost national reconciliation by advocating for the spirit of the movement. The UFP should change its stance in a move to uphold democratic values and better protect human rights.
Wednesday marked the first time that any conservative party leader has knelt when it comes to the May 18 uprising. The UFP has so far come under criticism for being reluctant to acknowledge its responsibility for the brutal military crackdown on the pro-democracy activists which led to more than 200 deaths. When the predecessors of the UFP were the ruling party, former Presidents Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye refused to attend anniversary ceremonies for the May 18 movement.
Even some of the party's right-wing members had tried to disparage the movement and defame pro-democracy protesters. They included then-legislators Kim Jin-tae, Lee Jong-myeong and Kim Soon-rye who organized a public hearing at the National Assembly in February 2019 in an attempt to distort facts about the uprising. They unabashedly described the protesters as “mobsters” and “insurgents,” while calling the civil uprising a “riot.”
The party, then called the Liberty Korea Party, took advantage of such anachronistic views in an apparent bid to attract conservative voters before the April 2020 general election. But voters turned their back on the party which became rudderless after former President Park was impeached for corruption and abuse of power in 2017.
The May 18 uprising has already established itself ― officially, legally and historically ― as a pro-democracy movement against the Chun Doo-hwan-led military junta which took power after the 1979 assassination of authoritarian former President Park Chung-hee. Now is the time to end reactionary attempts to discredit the uprising.
In this regard, UFP leader Kim's gesture should go beyond symbolism. Some might question his true intention, saying that he is only trying to garner support in Gwangju and its surrounding North and South Jeolla provinces ahead of the 2022 presidential election. Thus, Kim should do everything he can to back up his one-time gesture with further sincere acts.
Most of all, Kim and his party should cooperate with the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) in passing three bills related to the May 18 movement to better honor its victims and promote its spirit. The UFP should enshrine the pro-democracy movement in its platform.