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The Democratic Party of Korea (DPK; ), formerly known as the New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD), is a liberal
political party A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular country's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific ideological or p ...
in
South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
. Controlling the unicameral
National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the r ...
as of 2022, the DPK is regarded as one of two major parties in South Korea, along with its rival, the People Power Party (PPP). The party was founded on 26 March 2014 as a merger of the Democratic Party and the preparatory committee of the New Political Vision Party (NPVP).


History


Formation and Ahn–Kim leadership (March–July 2014)

The Democratic Party was formed as the New Politics Alliance for Democracy () on 26 March 2014 after an independent group led by
Ahn Cheol-soo Ahn Cheol-soo ( ; born 26 February 1962) is a South Korean politician, medical doctor, businessperson, and software entrepreneur. He currently serves as a member of the National Assembly as part of the conservative People Power Party. Prior ...
, then in the process of forming a party called the New Political Vision Party, merged with the Democratic Party led by
Kim Han-gil Kim Han-gil (; born 17 September 1953) is a South Korean politician, journalist and writer. He served as the 15th, 17th and 19th National Assembly member of the Republic of Korea and the Minister of Culture and Tourism. Career Having studi ...
. The former Democratic Party was absorbed into the NPAD while the preparatory committee of the NPVP was dissolved, with members who supported the merger joining the NPAD individually. Ahn and Kim became joint leaders of the new party. When the party performed poorly in by-elections that July, both leaders stepped down, having served for three months. Leadership of the party was then assumed by an emergency committee.


Ahn–Moon split (2015–16)

The next year, at a party convention on 7 February, Moon Jae-in was elected the new chairman of the party. Moon, who had previously served as chief of staff for former president Roh Moo-hyun, was the leader of the party's "pro-Roh" faction, which was opposed to Ahn and Kim. Moon came under fire for imposing a "pro-Roh hegemony" in the party, as Ahn and Kim were jeered and harassed at a memorial service for Roh held in May 2015. As the factional conflict intensified, the party lost support, falling from around 40 to 30 percent in opinion polls. A survey conducted on 12–14 November 2015 showed that supporters of the party wanted Ahn and Seoul mayor Park Won-soon to assume the leadership alongside Moon. On 29 November, Ahn rejected a proposal from Moon to establish a joint leadership, and presented Moon with a demand to call a convention to elect a new party leader. Moon rejected his demand, and Ahn left the party. Ahn was followed by a number of NPAD assembly members, including his former co-leader Kim Han-gil and Kwon Rho-kap, a former aide of President Kim Dae-jung from the party's stronghold of
Honam Honam (; literally "south of the lake") is a region coinciding with the former Jeolla Province in what is now South Korea. Today, the term refers to Gwangju, South Jeolla and North Jeolla Provinces. The name "Jeonla-do" is used in the names of ...
. Ahn and Kim merged their group with that of another defector from the NPAD,
Chun Jung-bae Chun Jung-bae (; born 12 December 1954) is a South Korean politician who was the joint chairman of the People's Party, alongside Ahn Cheol-soo. He is a member of the National Assembly for Seo District in Gwangju since 2015, having previously ...
, to form the
People Party The Green Party, also known as the Green Party UK, was a Green political party in the United Kingdom. Prior to 1985 it was called the Ecology Party, and before that PEOPLE. In 1990, it separated into three political parties: * the Green Par ...
. Following the defections, the NPAD was renamed the Democratic Party of Korea on 27 December 2015, and Moon resigned as party leader on 27 January 2016.
Kim Chong-in Kim Chong-in (, born 7 July 1940) is a South Korean economist and politician. He was the interim chairman of the Minjoo Party of Korea from January to August 2016 and a member-elect of the National Assembly on the party's proportional list si ...
, an academic and former assemblyman who served as an economic advisor to President
Park Geun-hye Park Geun-hye (; ; often in English ; born 2 February 1952) is a South Korean politician who served as the 11th president of South Korea from 2013 to 2017, until she was impeached and convicted on related corruption charges. Park was the fi ...
, was appointed party leader. Kim was seen as an unexpected choice, as he had previously worked for the conservative Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo administrations in the 1980s, serving as an assembly member for the ruling
Democratic Justice Party The Democratic Justice Party (; DJP) was the ruling party of South Korea from 1981 to 1988. History Chun had become the country's de facto leader after leading a military coup in December 1979, and was elected president in his own right in ...
and as health and welfare minister.


Under Kim Chong-in (January–August 2016)

Kim Chong-in viewed the pro–Roh Moo-hyun faction and what he considered the extremist wing of the party as responsible for the party's troubles, and pledged to diminish their influence. In the lead-up to the 2016 legislative election he deselected Lee Hae-chan, who had been Prime Minister under Roh and was now chairman of the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation as a candidate. Lee left the party in response. Many of Kim's nominations for the party's list were rejected by the rest of the party leadership, while favored candidates of Moon were ranked near the top of the approved list. Kim offered to resign in March, but stayed on as leader after a visit from Moon. Kim stated that he would continue to attempt to change the party's image, saying that the events had shown the party was "still unable to move on from its old ways".


2016 legislative election

Though losing votes to the People's Party formed by Ahn, Chun and Kim Han-gil—particularly in Honam—the party emerged as the overall winner of the election, receiving a plurality of seats (123 seats) in the
National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the r ...
with a margin of one seat over the
Saenuri Party The Liberty Korea Party () was a conservative political party in South Korea that was described variously as right-wing, right-wing populist, or far-right. Until February 2017, it was known as the Saenuri Party (), and before that as the Hanna ...
. Lee Hae-chan returned to the Assembly as an independent representing
Sejong City Sejong (; ), officially the Sejong Special Self-Governing City (), is a special self-governing city and ''de facto'' administrative capital of South Korea. Sejong was founded in 2007 as the new planned capital of South Korea from many parts of ...
. Following its electoral victory, Kim announced that the Democratic Party would shift its focus from welfare to economic growth and structural reform. Kim stated that the party would also change its position to support the establishment of for-profit hospitals, in contrast to the party's earlier opposition to the policy.


Under Choo Mi-ae (August 2016–August 2018)


2017 presidential election

After the constitutional court
impeached Impeachment is the process by which a legislative body or other legally constituted tribunal initiates charges against a public official for misconduct. It may be understood as a unique process involving both political and legal elements. In ...
President
Park Geun-hye Park Geun-hye (; ; often in English ; born 2 February 1952) is a South Korean politician who served as the 11th president of South Korea from 2013 to 2017, until she was impeached and convicted on related corruption charges. Park was the fi ...
for bribery, the Democratic Party's Moon Jae-in won the presidential election with 41.1% of votes, with Hong Joon-pyo of Liberty Korea coming second with 24%.


Under Lee Hae-chan (August 2018–August 2020)


2020 legislative election

On 15 April 2020, the Democratic Party won an
absolute majority A supermajority, supra-majority, qualified majority, or special majority is a requirement for a proposal to gain a specified level of support which is greater than the threshold of more than one-half used for a simple majority. Supermajority r ...
with 180 seats in the 300-member National Assembly with its allies. The main opposition
United Future Party The People Power Party (; PPP), formerly known as the United Future Party (; UFP), is a conservative political party in South Korea. Controlling the South Korean presidency, it is the second largest party in the National Assembly. PPP, a ...
(UFP) won 103 seats.


Under Lee Nak-yon (August 2020–March 2021)

On 9 March 2021, Lee Nak-yon resigned as the leader of the Democratic Party of Korea to run for president in the
2022 South Korean presidential election Presidential elections were held in South Korea on 9 March 2022. Under the South Korean constitution, presidents are restricted to a single five-year term, meaning that incumbent president Moon Jae-in was ineligible to run for a second term. ...
.


2021 by-elections

Following the major losses in the 2021 by-elections, party leadership was reorganized. Do Jong-hwan became the interim party President.


Under Song Young-gil (May 2021–present)


2022 presidential election

In October 2021, the Democratic Party nominated Lee Jae-myung as its nominee in the 2022 presidential election over other contenders such as former Democratic Party leaders Lee Nak-yon and
Choo Mi-ae Choo Mi-ae (; born 23 October 1958) is a South Korean politician who served as the Minister of Justice as well as five-term parliamentarian and 3rd leader of Democratic Party. She is the first woman to hold the post after Kang Kum-sil who ...
. Lee ultimately lost the election with 47.83% of the vote.


Ideology

Democratic Party of Korea is primarily portrayed as a
centrist Centrism is a political outlook or position involving acceptance or support of a balance of social equality and a degree of social hierarchy while opposing political changes that would result in a significant shift of society strongly to the ...
partyThe Democratic Party of Korea is described as a centrist party by numerous sources: But, the DPK is one of the two main political parties in South Korea, which has been classified as
centre-left Centre-left politics lean to the left on the left–right political spectrum but are closer to the centre than other left-wing politics. Those on the centre-left believe in working within the established systems to improve social justice. The ...
in the context of South Korean politics because it forms an opposition to the right-wing PPP. However, some researchers evaluate DPK as having a
center-right Centre-right politics lean to the right of the political spectrum, but are closer to the centre. From the 1780s to the 1880s, there was a shift in the Western world of social class structure and the economy, moving away from the nobility and mer ...
social policy in international standards.They also describe their party's identity as centre-conservative or centre-right. Since its founding, DPK has gradually moved in a progressive direction. The DPK and DPKs major politicians show a political line combining national-liberalism and
left-liberalism Social liberalism (german: Sozialliberalismus, es, socioliberalismo, nl, Sociaalliberalisme), also known as new liberalism in the United Kingdom, modern liberalism, or simply liberalism in the contemporary United States, left-liberali ...
. DPK's
Korean nationalist Korean nationalism can be viewed in two different contexts. One encompasses various movements throughout history to maintain a Korean cultural identity, history, and ethnicity (or "race"). This ethnic nationalism was mainly forged in oppositio ...
ic sentiment is mainly related to liberal
anti-imperialism Anti-imperialism in political science and international relations is a term used in a variety of contexts, usually by nationalist movements who want to secede from a larger polity (usually in the form of an empire, but also in a multi-ethnic ...
against Japan and neighboring powers, and is different from right-wing ethnic nationalism such as
Ilminism Ilminism (;), frequently translated as the One-People Principle, One-People Doctrine, or Unidemism, was the political ideology of South Korea under its first President, Syngman Rhee. The ''Ilminist'' principle has been likened by contemporary sch ...
. The DPK is officially rooted in the 1955
classical-liberal Classical liberalism is a political tradition and a branch of liberalism that advocates free market and laissez-faire economics; civil liberties under the rule of law with especial emphasis on individual autonomy, limited government, economic ...
" Democratic Party". During the early days of the New Politics Alliance for Democracy,
Kim Han-gil Kim Han-gil (; born 17 September 1953) is a South Korean politician, journalist and writer. He served as the 15th, 17th and 19th National Assembly member of the Republic of Korea and the Minister of Culture and Tourism. Career Having studi ...
and
Ahn Cheol-soo Ahn Cheol-soo ( ; born 26 February 1962) is a South Korean politician, medical doctor, businessperson, and software entrepreneur. He currently serves as a member of the National Assembly as part of the conservative People Power Party. Prior ...
performed the duties of co-representatives. They took a tough stance in relations with North Korea and pursued harmony between selective welfare and universal welfare. Because they played the role of conservatives in the party, they faced criticism from progressives inside the party for being 'center-right', and some progressives withdrew from the party. They took responsibility for the defeat in local elections and resigned as party leaders. Two of them, Kim Han-gil and Ahn Cheol-soo, later joined the right-wing PPP. Afterwards, the moderate Christian-democratic
Park Young-sun Park Young-sun (; born 22 January 1960) is a South Korean journalist-turned politician previously served as the second Minister of SMEs and Startups under President Moon Jae-in from April 2019 to 2021 and the first woman to lead SME-specialis ...
and the moderate Moon Hee-sang continued to serve as representatives. Later, in the democracy leadership election, Moon Jae-in won the conservative Park Jie-won He lost to Park Ji-won in the party membership vote, but won the polls and won. owever, afterward, due to the party's internal investigations and opposition from the party's conservatives, such as saying that they would leave the party if Moon Jae-in did not step down, the party leader Moon Jae-in resigned, and after that,
Kim Chong-in Kim Chong-in (, born 7 July 1940) is a South Korean economist and politician. He was the interim chairman of the Minjoo Party of Korea from January to August 2016 and a member-elect of the National Assembly on the party's proportional list si ...
's emergency committee was launched. Although he was a member of the conservative party, he insisted on economic democratization. However, he also later moved to PPP. Afterwards,
Choo Mi-ae Choo Mi-ae (; born 23 October 1958) is a South Korean politician who served as the Minister of Justice as well as five-term parliamentarian and 3rd leader of Democratic Party. She is the first woman to hold the post after Kang Kum-sil who ...
and Lee Hae-chan continued to serve as representatives. All of them are on the progressive side of the party. Lee Hye-chan suggested a move in a progressive direction, saying that the current party was
centre-right Centre-right politics lean to the right of the political spectrum, but are closer to the centre. From the 1780s to the 1880s, there was a shift in the Western world of social class structure and the economy, moving away from the nobility and ...
by international standards. After that, moderates such as
Lee Nak-yeon Lee Nak-yon (; born 20 December 1952), also known as Lee Nak-yeon, is a South Korean politician who served as the 41st Prime Minister of South Korea from 2017 to 2020. A member of the Democratic Party of Korea, he is the longest-serving prime ...
and Kim Tae-nyeon continued to hold the party leadership positions. However, after the progressive Lee Jae-myung was elected as the party's representative, the party moved in a progressive direction, causing opposition from conservative factions within the party.


Factions

The DPK can be seen as a
big tent A big tent party, or catch-all party, is a term used in reference to a political party's policy of permitting or encouraging a broad spectrum of views among its members. This is in contrast to other kinds of parties, which defend a determined i ...
political party. There are politicians with various ideologies in the DPK, but they are usually referred to as figures rather than ideologies. , the
centrist Centrism is a political outlook or position involving acceptance or support of a balance of social equality and a degree of social hierarchy while opposing political changes that would result in a significant shift of society strongly to the ...
faction centered on 'allies of Moon Jae-in' or 'allies of
Lee Nak-yeon Lee Nak-yon (; born 20 December 1952), also known as Lee Nak-yeon, is a South Korean politician who served as the 41st Prime Minister of South Korea from 2017 to 2020. A member of the Democratic Party of Korea, he is the longest-serving prime ...
' (친문 or 친낙) and the
centre-left Centre-left politics lean to the left on the left–right political spectrum but are closer to the centre than other left-wing politics. Those on the centre-left believe in working within the established systems to improve social justice. The ...
faction centered on 'allies of Lee Jae-myung' party leader (친명, 이재명계) are at odds. And although the influence has been reduced compared to the past, there is also a conservative
center-right Centre-right politics lean to the right of the political spectrum, but are closer to the centre. From the 1780s to the 1880s, there was a shift in the Western world of social class structure and the economy, moving away from the nobility and mer ...
faction centered on National Assembly Speaker
Kim Jin-pyo Kim Jin-pyo (; born August 13, 1977) is a South Korean MC, rapper, singer, songwriter, television presenter and professional race car driver. He began his career in 1995 as one half of the duo Panic, together with his childhood friend Lee Juck, ...
. Progressive factions inside the party, such as Lee Jae-myung, are mainly supported by rank-and-file members. Based on that, in the Democratic Party presidential candidate race, it received high support from rank-and-file members and general public opinion polls. Conservative factions such as Kim Jin-pyo have secured high support among party members and major delegates. Kim Jin-pyo gained the support of the majority of members of the National Assembly during the race for the chairman of the National Assembly and defeated his progressive rival by a double margin. In the centrist reformist faction, the candidates supported between the progressives and the conservatives are often dispersed. He made a more favorable choice to conservatives such as Kim Jin-pyo


American-style liberal

American-style liberals like Park Ji-hyun, who support immigrant rights, liberal feminism and cultural liberalism. Although they are left-liberals, they have relatively weak populist tendencies and are culturally liberal-to-progressive, so there is a political conflict with 'allies of Lee Jae-myung'. She has criticized the US abortion rights ruling and is a supporter of abortion rights. There is an informal LGBT group within the DPK.


Liberal populist

Social liberal populist like Lee Jae-myung, who are not clear between cultural conservatism and progressivism, but support (economically) centre-left policies based on New Deal liberalism. In South Korean politics, 'allies of Lee Jae-myung' usually means a populist faction within the DPK. However, as it enters the mainstream, Congressman Lee Jae-myung also accepts some of the
economic liberalism Economic liberalism is a political and economic ideology that supports a market economy based on individualism and private property in the means of production. Adam Smith is considered one of the primary initial writers on economic libera ...
positions, such as tax relief and corporate deregulation claims, and supports a more moderate position than in the 2017 primary. Also, there is an opinion that Lee Jae-myung takes a national-liberalism. The center-left liberal media Hankyoreh also criticized Lee Jae-myeong's nationalist remarks, saying, "Then what is different from the PPP?"Lee Jae-myeong is culturally liberal compared to the party average, such as in favor of enactment of the Anti-Discrimination Act, but is not free from
social conservatism Social conservatism is a political philosophy and variety of conservatism which places emphasis on traditional power structures over social pluralism. Social conservatives organize in favor of duty, traditional values and social institut ...
.


Classical liberal

Classical liberals like Kum Tae-seop, who support economically and culturally liberalism. Kum Tae-seop Geum attended the Queer Festival and urged DPK to set up a booth at the festival. However, Kum Tae-seop has left the party, and classical liberals are no longer mainstream in the DPK.


Centrist reformist

Centrist reformists have dominated the DPK. Currently,
Lee Nak-yeon Lee Nak-yon (; born 20 December 1952), also known as Lee Nak-yeon, is a South Korean politician who served as the 41st Prime Minister of South Korea from 2017 to 2020. A member of the Democratic Party of Korea, he is the longest-serving prime ...
is considered a representative centrist reformist. The former president, Moon Jae-in is a centrist reformist, took a culturally liberal approach to military reform, school reform, and environmental issues, but a somewhat moderate socially conservative approach to feminism,
disability rights The disability rights movement is a global social movement that seeks to secure equal opportunities and equal rights for all people with disabilities. It is made up of organizations of disability activists, also known as disability advocat ...
and LGBT rights. In addition, there is also a (정세균계) centered on former Prime Minister
Chung Sye-kyun Chung Sye-kyun () is a South Korean politician who has served as Speaker of the National Assembly from 2016 to 2018 and Prime Minister of South Korea from 2020 to 2021. He was previously leader of the main opposition Democratic Party between ...
, and unlike the (친문) faction mainly centered on Moon Jae-in, they support conservatives inside the party such as Chairman Kim Jin-pyo and are more
economically liberal Economic liberalism is a political and economic ideology that supports a market economy based on individualism and private property in the means of production. Adam Smith is considered one of the primary initial writers on economic liberali ...
than other centrist reformists.


Conservative

Conservatives like
Kim Jin-pyo Kim Jin-pyo (; born August 13, 1977) is a South Korean MC, rapper, singer, songwriter, television presenter and professional race car driver. He began his career in 1995 as one half of the duo Panic, together with his childhood friend Lee Juck, ...
, who support
anti-abortion Anti-abortion movements, also self-styled as pro-life or abolitionist movements, are involved in the abortion debate advocating against the practice of abortion and its legality. Many anti-abortion movements began as countermovements in respo ...
legislation and oppose LGBT rights, along with being
economically liberal Economic liberalism is a political and economic ideology that supports a market economy based on individualism and private property in the means of production. Adam Smith is considered one of the primary initial writers on economic liberali ...
and socially conservative. Kim Jin-pyo was evaluated as closer to "conservatism" than "centrism" in a Korean media survey. He introduced the "homosexuality healing movement" as one of the solutions to low birth rates. He won the support of the majority of lawmakers in the primary to elect the speaker of the National Assembly for the DPK. It can also include the case of taking a
Christian democracy Christian democracy (sometimes named Centrist democracy) is a political ideology that emerged in 19th-century Europe under the influence of Catholic social teaching and neo-Calvinism. It was conceived as a combination of modern democratic ...
stance like Congressman
Park Young-sun Park Young-sun (; born 22 January 1960) is a South Korean journalist-turned politician previously served as the second Minister of SMEs and Startups under President Moon Jae-in from April 2019 to 2021 and the first woman to lead SME-specialis ...
. She claimed that I was the strongest opponent of the 300 members of the National Assembly in the past on homosexuality. They have a very bad relationship with the progressive faction within the party represented by Lee Jae-myeong and others. Whenever there was a dispute, they demanded that the progressive faction voluntarily leave the party, or insisted that the party could split if it continued like this. However, in foreign policy, they are not exactly the same as right-wing conservatives like PPP because they promote policies based on pacifism on the Korean Peninsula. (South Korea's right-wing conservatives are mostly anti-communists.)


Political stance


Economic and labour policies

The DPK supports the expansion of fiscal expenditures to gradually increase
welfare Welfare, or commonly social welfare, is a type of government support intended to ensure that members of a society can meet basic human needs such as food and shelter. Social security may either be synonymous with welfare, or refer specifical ...
alongside elements of
economic liberalism Economic liberalism is a political and economic ideology that supports a market economy based on individualism and private property in the means of production. Adam Smith is considered one of the primary initial writers on economic libera ...
and
fiscal conservatism Fiscal conservatism is a political and economic philosophy regarding fiscal policy and fiscal responsibility with an ideological basis in capitalism, individualism, limited government, and ''laissez-faire'' economics.M. O. Dickerson et al., '' ...
. The party supports the
market economy A market economy is an economic system in which the decisions regarding investment, production and distribution to the consumers are guided by the price signals created by the forces of supply and demand, where all suppliers and consumers ...
, but also values the need for state intervention in the market. In 2020, the party pledged to implement a version of the
Green New Deal Green New Deal (GND) proposals call for public policy to address climate change along with achieving other social aims like job creation and reducing economic inequality. The name refers back to the New Deal, a set of social and economic re ...
to move South Korea towards carbon neutrality by 2050. The party takes a favorable stance on government intervention in the market, while keeping some distance from labour politics and
labour movement The labour movement or labor movement consists of two main wings: the trade union movement (British English) or labor union movement (American English) on the one hand, and the political labour movement on the other. * The trade union movement ...
s. For this reason, the DPK has been labelled as a " conservative liberal" party.Also, several columnists in the liberal Hankyoreh described the DPK as the Liberal Conservative Party. However, Lee Jae-myung supports New Deal liberalism, which is economically progressive and labor-friendly, unlike Moon Jae-in, who was a pro-
Chaebol A chaebol (, ; ) is a large industrial South Korean conglomerate run and controlled by an individual or family. A chaebol often consists of multiple diversified affiliates, controlled by a person or group whose power over the group often exc ...
centrist Centrism is a political outlook or position involving acceptance or support of a balance of social equality and a degree of social hierarchy while opposing political changes that would result in a significant shift of society strongly to the ...
. Therefore, it is actively supported by former and current executives of major labor unions in South Korea. Lee Jae-myung was compared to "FDR's New Deal Coalition" because he formed a big tent political coalition based on liberalism that brought together socially
conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...
people (antifeminist "
Dixiecrat The States' Rights Democratic Party (whose members are often called the Dixiecrats) was a short-lived segregationist political party in the United States, active primarily in the South. It arose due to a Southern regional split in opposition ...
"), reformist liberals, left-wing socially
progressives Progressivism holds that it is possible to improve human societies through political action. As a political movement, progressivism seeks to advance the human condition through social reform based on purported advancements in science, techn ...
, and anti-Chaebol
labor activist A union organizer (or union organiser in Commonwealth spelling) is a specific type of trade union member (often elected) or an appointed union official. A majority of unions appoint rather than elect their organizers. In some unions, the orga ...
s. The DPK is officially rooted in the 1955
classical-liberal Classical liberalism is a political tradition and a branch of liberalism that advocates free market and laissez-faire economics; civil liberties under the rule of law with especial emphasis on individual autonomy, limited government, economic ...
" Democratic Party". But the current DPK got closer to moderate
Keynesian Keynesian economics ( ; sometimes Keynesianism, named after British economist John Maynard Keynes) are the various macroeconomic theories and models of how aggregate demand (total spending in the economy) strongly influences economic output an ...
than to classical-liberal economic policy of the past.


Social policies

The DPK's social stances are inconsistent. The DPK is generally classified as a liberal political party, therefore should be socially liberal, but the party is also influenced by Christian movements, so it has some socially conservative character. The party opposed the legalization of
same-sex marriage Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same sex or gender. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 33 countries, with the most recent being Mexico, constituting ...
during the 2018 local elections. However, the DPK opposes discrimination against homosexuals outside of marriage and argues that they should be treated with dignity. Many DPK politicians are friendly to the etiquette and Confucian traditions of Korean culture. The Hankyoreh and
Hankook Ilbo ''Hankook Ilbo'' () is a Korean-language daily newspaper in Seoul, South Korea. As of 2017, it had a daily circulation of about 213,200. It was previously published by the Hankook Ilbo Media Group, however following an embezzlement scandal ...
, South Korean socially liberal newspapers, strongly criticized the DPK for holding a discussion on the pros and cons of the anti-discrimination law and giving anti-LGBT activists the right to speak. The DPK's Christian influences have also been criticized by other religious groups. In December 2021, the Moon Jae-in government invested 1.2 billion won ( US$1,000,000) in a campaign to promote carol music in stores such as restaurants and cafes. The Buddhist community protested, calling it a policy that gives preferential treatment to a specific religion. The DPK's social conservatism on issues related to
LGBT rights Rights affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender ( LGBT) people vary greatly by country or jurisdiction—encompassing everything from the legal recognition of same-sex marriage to the death penalty for homosexuality. Notably, ...
and
feminism Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...
mainly draws from Christianity, but outside of those topics the DPK demonstrates moderate-to- liberal social policy. The DPK opposes corporal punishment for children and led the complete abolition of laws that justified corporal punishment for children in the past. The DPK also supports strengthening punishments for domestic violence. The DPK views South Korea's
dog meat Dog meat is the flesh and other edible parts derived from dogs. Historically, human consumption of dog meat has been recorded in many parts of the world. During the 19th century westward movement in the United States, ''mountainmen'', native ...
intake culture negatively and has criticized it from a liberal perspective. President Moon Jae-in said he was considering a legal ban on dog meat in September 2021. The DPK also actively supports the rights of
vegetarian Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). It may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slaughter. Vegetariani ...
s and
vegan Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal product—particularly in diet—and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals. An individual who follows the diet or philosophy is known as a vegan. ...
citizens. In addition, the DPK supports liberal reforms on student rights issues. The DPK's position on abortion is undefined, and varies for each politician. There are some socially conservative politicians who oppose women’s right to abortion care, but most of the DPK is
pro-choice Abortion-rights movements, also referred to as pro-choice movements, advocate for the right to have legal access to induced abortion services including elective abortion. They seek to represent and support women who wish to terminate their pr ...
. Lee Jae-myung, the DPK candidate for the
2022 South Korean presidential election Presidential elections were held in South Korea on 9 March 2022. Under the South Korean constitution, presidents are restricted to a single five-year term, meaning that incumbent president Moon Jae-in was ineligible to run for a second term. ...
, insisted on expanding health insurance for abortion and contraceptives. The DPK takes an ambiguous position that neither supports nor opposes the abolition of the National Security Act.


Foreign policy

The DPK's view of
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...
varies from individual politician to politician, but the DPK's major politicians view Japanese conservatism negatively. On the other hand, the DPK maintains a friendly stance on the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
. The Moon Jae-in government deployed four additional THAAD launchers in 2017, for which the progressive Justice Party criticized the Moon Jae-in administration as a "poodle of Trump". Moon Jae-in said in September 2017 in front of Trump and
Shinzo Abe Shinzo Abe ( ; ja, 安倍 晋三, Hepburn: , ; 21 September 1954 – 8 July 2022) was a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan and President of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) from 2006 to 2007 and again from 2012 to 20 ...
, "The United States is our ally, but Japan is not our ally". The DPK's pro-U.S. tendency tends to go with the conciliatory tendency toward
North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu (Amnok) and T ...
. Song Young-gil, a former DPK leader, proposed to the United States to make North Korea a pro-U.S. country like
Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making ...
in 2021. The DPK a recognizes
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...
as a vicious hegemonic country that afflicts Korea, similar to Japan. Lee Jae-myung and other major DPK politicians criticize China for robbing and invading
Korean culture The traditional culture of Korea is the shared cultural and historical heritage of Korea and southern Manchuria before the division of Korea in 1945. Manchuria refers to the ancient geographical and historical region in Northeast Asia, includ ...
. Some DPK politicians, including
Kim Dong-yeon Kim Dong-yeon (; born 28 January 1957) is a South Korean politician serving as 36th governor of Gyeonggi Province since 1 July 2022. He previously served as the 4th Ministry of Economy and Finance (South Korea), Minister of Economy and Finance and ...
, are also active supporters of VANK, which shows anti-Japan and anti-China tendencies based on liberal
anti-imperialism Anti-imperialism in political science and international relations is a term used in a variety of contexts, usually by nationalist movements who want to secede from a larger polity (usually in the form of an empire, but also in a multi-ethnic ...
. However, DPK officially is pro-immigration, so it opposes
racism Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to inherited attributes and can be divided based on the superiority of one race over another. It may also mean prejudice, discrimination, or antagoni ...
against Chinese and Japanese people. Prior to 2022, the DPK had supported a fairly friendly relationship with
Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...
, with the aim of hoping that Russia would support the Sunshine Policy, it is also related to anti-Japan and anti-China sentiment among South Korean liberals. The current DPK opposes the
2022 Russian Invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. A ...
and supports economic sanctions against Russia and support for
Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inva ...
, but historically, it sought to maintain good relations with Russia by favoring Russia's Eurasianism (유라시아주의) foreign policy or voting on a 'political party cooperation protocol' (정당협력의정서) with
United Russia United Russia ( rus, Единая Россия, Yedinaya Rossiya, (j)ɪˈdʲinəjə rɐˈsʲijə) is a Conservatism in Russia, Russian conservative List of political parties in Russia, political party. As the largest party in Russia, it hold ...
. On February 25, 2022, Lee Jae-myung drew much criticism for criticizing
Volodymyr Zelenskyy Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelenskyy, ; russian: Владимир Александрович Зеленский, Vladimir Aleksandrovich Zelenskyy, (born 25 January 1978; also transliterated as Zelensky or Zelenskiy) is a Ukrainian politicia ...
as a "In Ukraine, a novice politician of six months became president and declared (Ukraine's) accession to
NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two N ...
, which provoked Russia and eventually led to a clash". On February 26, the day after the social controversy over this, Lee officially apologized for the remarks and made it clear that he opposes Russia's war of aggression and supports Ukraine. The DPK has a somewhat favorable attitude toward
Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
. In 2018, the Moon Jae-in government abstained from the UN resolution ES-10/L.23 vote criticizing the Israeli response to the 2018 Gaza border protests. The Moon Jae-in government officially signed a
free trade agreement A free-trade agreement (FTA) or treaty is an agreement according to international law to form a free-trade area between the cooperating states. There are two types of trade agreements: bilateral and multilateral. Bilateral trade agreements occ ...
with Israel in 2021.


Reunification of North and South Korea

The party strongly supports the denuclearization of the
Korean Peninsula Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic ...
and aims for peaceful relations with North Korea. The party also officially advocates increasing exchanges and cooperation with the North to create a foundation for
reunification A political union is a type of political entity which is composed of, or created from, smaller polities, or the process which achieves this. These smaller polities are usually called federated states and federal territories in a federal governmen ...
.


Controversy

The DPK is criticized for taking a liberal hawkish stance on Japan diplomatically, promoting a 'politics of hatred' similar to the speech of right-wing
Japanese nationalist is a form of nationalism that asserts the belief that the Japanese are a monolithic nation with a single immutable culture, and promotes the cultural unity of the Japanese. Over the last two centuries, it has encompassed a broad range of ideas ...
s to attack the opposition and promote the views of unified citizens. Kum Tae-sub, who was a DPK member at the time, but had a fairly friendly view of Japan, was criticized by some DPK supporter, saying, "Do you have a '' jjokbari'' among your ancestors?" (혹시 조상 중에 쪽바리가?). In addition, Geum Tae-sub was repeatedly bullied online by numerous DPK supporters due to his Japanese-friendly diplomat, and eventually he left the DPK. For reference, Kum Tae-sub was known as the most pro-LGBT rights politician in the DPK. On April 9, 2020, Lee Hae-chan, then leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, denounced South Korean conservatives as "''Native
Wokou ''Wokou'' (; Japanese: ''Wakō''; Korean: 왜구 ''Waegu''), which literally translates to "Japanese pirates" or "dwarf pirates", were pirates who raided the coastlines of China and Korea from the 13th century to the 16th century.
''" (토착왜구) in the sense that they are Korean and represent Japan, and the term has since become popular among South Korean liberals. The term was also used by key progressive Justice Party politicians in 2019. A column in the
JoongAng Ilbo ''The JoongAng'', formally known as ''JoongAng Ilbo'', is a South Korean daily newspaper published in Seoul, South Korea. It is one of the three biggest newspapers in South Korea, and a newspaper of record for South Korea. The paper also p ...
, a
moderate conservative Moderate conservatism is a moderate version of conservatism that is less demanding than classical conservatism and has several subtypes such as liberal conservatism. The term is often used in countries where the political camp is divided into ' ...
media, criticized the expression ''Native Wokou'' as similar to (liberal version)
McCarthyism McCarthyism is the practice of making false or unfounded accusations of subversion and treason, especially when related to anarchism, communism and socialism, and especially when done in a public and attention-grabbing manner. The term origin ...
. In an article written in the
centre-left Centre-left politics lean to the left on the left–right political spectrum but are closer to the centre than other left-wing politics. Those on the centre-left believe in working within the established systems to improve social justice. The ...
liberal media Hankyoreh, left-wing socialist Hong Se-hwa criticized it as "government-led nationalism" (관제 민족주의) that has nothing to do with left-wing nationalism and criticized right-wing Japanese nationalism and hostile symbiosis. Although Japan's 'anti-Korean Japanese nationalism' is caused by
historical denialism Historical negationism, also called denialism, is falsification or distortion of the historical record. It should not be conflated with ''historical revisionism'', a broader term that extends to newly evidenced, fairly reasoned academic reinterp ...
, South Korea's 'anti-Japanese Koreans nationalism' is different in that it is caused by
anti-imperialism Anti-imperialism in political science and international relations is a term used in a variety of contexts, usually by nationalist movements who want to secede from a larger polity (usually in the form of an empire, but also in a multi-ethnic ...
, experts say that the conflict between the two countries intensifies the most when a conservative (Mainly LDP) regime is established in Japan and a liberal (Mainly DPK) regime is established in South Korea. Ian Buruma described the relationship between the two countries as "Where the
Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because t ...
Never Ended" in which the two directions were intensified by different nationalist regimes. The conservative PPP and liberal DPK tend to use hostile rhetoric against China and Japan to win political debates, which has been criticized among left-wing progressive and anti-racist activists for fueling nationalist hatred by the South Korean public, resulting in discrimination and violence against
Chinese people The Chinese people or simply Chinese, are people or ethnic groups identified with China, usually through ethnicity, nationality, citizenship, or other affiliation. Chinese people are known as Zhongguoren () or as Huaren () by speakers of sta ...
and
Japanese people The are an East Asian ethnic group native to the Japanese archipelago."人類学上は,旧石器時代あるいは縄文時代以来,現在の北海道〜沖縄諸島(南西諸島)に住んだ集団を祖先にもつ人々。" () Ja ...
in South Korean society. PPP mainly encouraged anti-China sentiment, and DPK mainly encouraged anti-Japan sentiment. The progressive Sim Sang-jung saying, "I will not use anti-American, anti-Chinese and anti-Japanese sentiment in politics" in the 
2022 South Korean presidential election Presidential elections were held in South Korea on 9 March 2022. Under the South Korean constitution, presidents are restricted to a single five-year term, meaning that incumbent president Moon Jae-in was ineligible to run for a second term. ...
.


List of leaders


Current leadership


Leaders

* Note: - as head of Emergency Response Committee


Floor leaders


Secretary-General


Election results


President


Legislature


Local


By-elections


See also

*
Big tent A big tent party, or catch-all party, is a term used in reference to a political party's policy of permitting or encouraging a broad spectrum of views among its members. This is in contrast to other kinds of parties, which defend a determined i ...
* Politics of South Korea * Democratic Party (South Korea, 2000) *
Uri Party The Yeollin Uri Party (), generally abbreviated to Uri Party (), was the ruling political party in South Korea from 2003–2007. It had a liberal political ideology in order to support then President Roh Moo-hyun. Chung Sye Kyun was the last ...
*
Democratic Party (South Korea, 2008) The Democratic Party (; DP) was a liberal political party in South Korea. Formerly named United Democratic Party (; UDP), it was the main opposition party in the 18th Assembly. In late 2011, it merged into the Democratic United Party. Histor ...
*
Democratic Party (South Korea, 2011) The Democratic Party (; DP), formerly the Democratic United Party (; DUP) until 2013, was a liberal political party in South Korea, and for the duration of its existence the country's main opposition force. On 15 December 2011, the Democratic ...
*
Christian democracy Christian democracy (sometimes named Centrist democracy) is a political ideology that emerged in 19th-century Europe under the influence of Catholic social teaching and neo-Calvinism. It was conceived as a combination of modern democratic ...
(factions) * Gangnam liberal (factions)


Notes


References


External links

* {{Authority control Anti-Japanese sentiment in South Korea Centre-left parties in Asia Centrist parties in Asia Civic nationalism Democratic parties in South Korea Korean nationalist parties National liberalism Social liberal parties Political parties established in 1955 Political parties established in 2015