Park Ji-hyun, "We Need to Discuss the Voluntary Retirement of '5-8-6' Politicians to Restore Public Trust"

Park Ji-hyun, co-chair of the Democratic Party of Korea’s emergency committee holds a press conference appealing to the people at the National Assembly press room on May 24. National Assembly press photographers

On May 25, Park Ji-hyun, co-chair of the Democratic Party of Korea’s emergency committee said, “We need to discuss the voluntary retirement of ‘5-8-6’ politicians to restore public trust.” (5-8-6 refers to politicians in their fifties, who went to college in the 1980s, and were born in the 1960s.) She called for 5-8-6 politicians to voluntarily retire after declaring an end to “fandom politics” and double standards inside the party in a written appeal to the people the previous day.

At a meeting of the party’s election campaign at the National Assembly this day, Park said, “The mission of the 5-8-6 was to restore democracy and make sure it firmly settled in this land. Now, they have nearly completed that role. They should prepare a beautiful exit.”

Park continued and said, “The goal of politics in the Republic of Korea in 2022 is to overcome margins, discrimination and inequality, which the 5-8-6 politicians could never imagine,” and argued, “Young people in their twenties and thirties (‘20s&30s’) are the greatest victims of these margins, discrimination and inequality, and also the ones who can solve these problems. The remaining role of the 5-8-6 is now to open a path for the 20s&30s to solve these problems and create a younger Democratic Party.”

Park said, “During the presidential campaign, there was an announcement that they would retreat to the rear, but the only people who have expressed their intention to retire are former Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum, former Minister Kim Young-choon, and former lawmaker Choi Jae-sung,” and urged other 5-8-6 politicians to retire saying, “The promise doesn’t change just because we lost the election.” She said, “We also need to stop lawmakers who have represented the same constituency for three terms from making a fourth bid as promised.”

Park explained the reason why she released a written appeal to the people the previous day and said, “Despite that we lost the presidential election, nothing has changed. Double standards lenient to party members remain the same. We continue to witness sexual assault incidents. And the ‘fandom politics,’ which denies democracy in the party, remains a serious problem.” She said, “I was worried about how the people would see the Democratic Party.”

Park Ji-hyun claimed, “We need to end fandom politics, which is wrong,” and argued, “Pushing ahead with reforms in the Prosecution Service is our only way to survive. Suggesting we be lenient on Choe Kang-wook is clearly wrong.” She said, “Politics that cannot say a word because it is too scared of the fandom is dead politics,” and argued, “The Democratic Party must never succumb to radical supporters and to ‘text message bombs’ no matter what challenges we face.”

She also spoke on lawmaker Choe Kang-wook, who is at the center of controversy over sexual harassment comments. She said, “We will quickly conclude proper disciplinary measures even if we have to exercise the emergency committee’s power to take emergency disciplinary action.” Park further explained, “The ethics judge in the party decided to hold the next meeting after the elections on June 20, despite the emergency committee chair’s request to conclude disciplinary procedures before the presidential election,” and said, “Our party suffered significantly due to the sexual assault by mayors and governors of our party, yet they are still delaying action. Now, it isn’t me. It’s the people who won’t tolerate this.”

As for the party’s strategy for the June 1 local elections, Park said, “If we are to make up for the distance we trail, we have no other option but to appeal to the people.” She suggested that the mayors of Seoul and Incheon and the governor of Gyeonggi-do and the chief of the party’s election campaign jointly adopt a letter of apology to the nation including a reflection on the party’s mistakes and measures to reform and change the party and announce it before the people.”