Conservative main opposition should revamp in earnest
The conservative main opposition United Future Party (UFP) will likely adopt the new name “People's Power,” set to be finalized on Wednesday. Political parties in Korea have adopted new names on the occasion of monumental moments ― in party mergers or when in need of revamp. For the UFP to have to change its name three times over the past three years after former President Park Geun-hye was impeached tells the tale of a once-major conservative party grappling to reconnect with and regain voters.
The opposition had been making efforts by adopting a new party platform under interim leader Kim Chong-in that entailed legislating basic income ― an agenda usually reserved for liberals ― and the spirit of the May 18 democracy movement in Gwangju in 1980. Kim made a surprise move when he visited the May 18 National Cemetery in Gwangju last month and knelt in apology to ask for forgiveness from the city's citizens.
Coupled with its reform efforts, the ruling Democratic Party of Korea's real estate policies have enabled some voters to defect to hike up the UFP's popularity for the first time in three years. A small window of opportunity has opened to them to put the post-impeachment disarray behind them and start racing toward the April 2021 by-elections and the March 2022 presidential election.
A new name should embody a new core for the party. The UFP should go beyond post-impeachment redemption, and aim to lead the national agenda by embracing voters in their 20s and 30s, who unlike generations before them face one of the bleakest futures. The fact that it adopted the name “people” reflects the party is willing to broaden the width of its spectrum. It demonstrates that it knows the people want fair and sustainable policies.
Any attempt that falls shorts of a genuine revamp will be seen as superficial and push voters further away. A non-functioning opposition does not serve anyone ― the National Assembly, the parties and most importantly the voters.