[AI Library] Chapter 22: The Language of New Conservatism
The Han Dong-hoon Story
Chapter 22: The Language of New Conservatism
Kim Kyung-jin
The Han Dong-hoon Story
PART 05 Han Dong-hoon Who Let Go of Vested Interests · Original Text 04
There is an expression Han Dong-hoon frequently uses in politics.
It is the term "Fellow Citizens."
In Korean politics, voters are typically addressed as "honored citizens" or "the people."
A more familiar way to address them is "fellow citizens."
Yet the expression "fellow citizens" was unfamiliar.
It was a deliberate attempt to erase the hierarchy that existed between politicians and the public. "I am not your leader.
I am your fellow citizen."
This expression contained his political philosophy.
Politicians are not rulers above the people but those who walk alongside them. It was the same philosophy that Jon Favreau pursued in President Obama's speeches. The idea was that politicians are not heroes leading the people but advocates who speak on behalf of their stories.
Han Dong-hoon also frequently mentioned "clearing out the democratization movement faction."
The activist movement faction he spoke of did not refer only to the democratization movement forces of the 1980s.
What he criticized was the force that monopolized the legacy of the democratization movement and became a new vested interest.
"We must prevent Representative Lee Jae-myung and the Democratic Party from colluding with privileged activist factions and destroying the nation for their own survival."
It was a direct expression.
In Korean politics, the activist movement faction had long held moral superiority.
This was because there was historical legitimacy in having fought against dictatorship.
Han Dong-hoon criticized that this legacy had degenerated into new privilege.
His language differed from conservatism's traditional rhetoric.
Past conservatism prioritized "anti-communism" and "growth."
Anti-communism was a legacy of the Cold War era, and growth was the slogan of the industrialization era.
Yet the Cold War ended, and the era of high growth has passed.
For younger generations, that language became outdated.
Han Dong-hoon found different language.
He spoke of "fairness."
He spoke of "common sense."
He spoke of "equal opportunity."
These words were concepts originally monopolized by progressive camps.
But Han Dong-hoon sought to redefine them as conservative concepts. "Fairness is not the exclusive domain of the left.
Fair competition is the essence of market economy.
A society where those who follow the rules are rewarded, that is the society conservatism pursues."
His new language was not accepted by the entire conservative support base.
Some criticized him as "disguised progressive."
Others called him "an unprincipled opportunist."
Yet what he attempted was clear.
It was to break free from old factional logic and create language that could communicate with the new generation.
"I believe in conservative values.
But the era of explaining those values in outdated language has ended."
5 General Election Defeat and Reflection
The night of April 10, 2024. The ballot count broadcast began. As time passed, the gap widened. The Democratic Party won 175 seats, the People Power Party 108 seats. The Cho Kuk Innovation Party took 12 seats and successfully formed a negotiating group in parliament.
It was a crushing defeat.
"I do not regret politics.
However, I am coming to feel that politics is truly difficult work."
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Kim Kyung-jin
Attorney · Former Member of the National Assembly · AI Policy Researcher
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