Social conservatism coming to S. Korea

Nov 11, 2024, 10:27 am

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AsiaToday, the 12th largest daily newspaper in South Korea, celebrated its 19th anniversary of foundation in Seoul on Nov. 11, 2024. It has advanced beyond Asia to become a global media group.

AsiaToday reporters Choi Young-jae & Hong Sun-mi

Social conservatism is coming to South Korea in the second Trump era. Since its foundation in 1948, South Korea has been under the overwhelming influence of the United States in all areas of politics, economy and society. Former Prime Minister Roh Jae-bng, who designed the Roh Tae-woo administration’s Northern diplomacy, including diplomatic ties with Russia, China, and joint accession of the two Koreas to the United Nations, said, “Domestic politics are governed by international ones due to its geopolitical position. We cannot predict the future of a country if one only focuses on domestic politics.”

In the era of great transformation, South Korean politics and media would likely be affected immediately. “The aftermath of Trump’s inauguration is formidable. However, if the people are united and have the power to respond as one, we can overcome difficulties,” said Moon Hee-sang, former chairman of the National Assembly. “There are many rumors of a crisis in the second Trump era, but if we keep the values of liberal democracy, respect for the market, and respect for human rights that we have upheld since the founding of the Republic of Korea in 1948, nothing will be a problem,” said Park In-hwi, a professor of international studies at Ewha Womans University.

International political experts say that we should focus on the reason behind Harris’ defeat and Trump’s victory. They say that the U.S. Democratic Party’s election headquarters’ policies have gone too far to the far left. The Democratic Party, which is biased toward ideologies such as open borders, soaring crime rates, environmental activism, and nuclear power plants, has not cared for the people’s livelihoods. And Trump has become much stronger than when he first appeared in 2016. Now, Americans are proudly saying that are conservatives. “Korean politics has a lot to learn from Trump’s election,” Song Jae-yoon, a history professor at McMaster University in Canada, told AsiaToday in a phone interview on Tuesday. “This is a lesson that right-wing politicians succeed if they follow the principles of keeping the right and push ahead with policies without snooping on the left.”

The U.S. presidential election should be on the alert for the Korean media as well. Most of the mainstream American media outlets, including the New York Times and CNN, were confident that Harris would win. Most of major Korean media outlets including Chosun Ilbo, Choong-Ang Ilbo, and Dong-A Ilbo followed what such U.S. media did. However, the Economist, a leading British news magazine, rather than the left-leaning U.S. media, called the U.S. presidential election “the Trumpification of American politics.” It said that Trump set all agendas conservatively for the election, and that Harris was taken away.

Political pundits say Trump won the battle of values. The U.S. elite are not focused on left-wing values centered on the Democratic Party. They are immersed in the political correctness, namely feminism, environmentalism, recognition of same-sex marriage, prohibition of discrimination against sexual minorities, and more. “The U.S. is taking a left turn in their political stance comparable to the level of the Chinese Cultural Revolution,” Song said. “This is the same thing happening in South Korea.”

Experts point out that South Korea’s elite intellectual society, tainted with political correctness, will be affected by Trump’s victory. “Trump’s strategy is to stick to the right-wing line and hang on to it. This is something conservatives in Korea should keep in mind. The same goes for Korean media outlets, who are puzzled,” said Park In-hwan, co-chairman of the Citizens United for Better Soceity.

#Social conservatism #Trump