President Yoon tries to “reenact glory” by following Park Chung-hee, the “great leader”

With a green wave in the backdrop: President Yoon Suk-yeol walks up on stage to give a congratulatory message at an event declaring a “youth pledge” at the 2023 national meeting of Saemaul leaders held at KINTEX in Ilsan, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi on November 12. Courtesy of the Office of the President

“Let us once again achieve the fast-growing Republic of Korea of the past based on the Saemaul Undong and reenact that glory,” said President Yoon Suk-yeol on November 12, referring to former President Park Chung-hee as a “great leader.” The president publicly mentioned former President Park three times in the last two weeks, continuing to strengthen his ties with the traditionally conservative people. In the last month, following the defeat in the by-election for district mayor of Gangseo-gu in Seoul, the president has concentrated his efforts on attracting key supporters while mentioning the people’s livelihoods.

President Yoon Suk-yeol attended a ceremony declaring the “youth pledge” at national meeting of Saemaul leaders at KINTEX in Goyang-si, Gyeonggi Sunday and said, “Now, in an advanced industrial society, the Saemaul Undong will develop into a movement leading innovations in cities, workplaces, and industries, and these innovations will spread throughout the world and firmly establish the Republic of Korea as an important global nation.”

“The splendid growth and prosperity that the Republic of Korea achieved in the past was possible because of the people’s determination to ‘Let’s live well,’ and the belief that ‘We can do it,’” said President Yoon as he spoke about the past Saemaul Undong, adding, “There was also a great leader who led this determination and belief,” suggesting former President Park Chung-hee. President Yoon continued and said, “That the Saemaul Undong continues into the young future generation is very encouraging and brings great joy.”

These days, President Yoon has been mentioning former President Park quite frequently. On October 26, he attended a memorial for former President Park for the first time as an incumbent president and proposed to remember the spirit and achievements of Park Chung-hee. On November 7, he met with former President Park Geun-hye and said, “I am looking back at the state administration of President Park Chung-hee’s time and applying the lessons I have learned from him.” He is highlighting the incumbent government as one following the “Park Chung-hee era” and increasing the common ground with the conservatives.

After the by-election for Gangseo-gu district mayor in Seoul on October 11, which ended in an utter defeat for the People Power Party (PPP), the president increased his activities linked to the people’s livelihoods when communicating his policies to the people. In terms of integration and governance, he has leaned toward one side. His attempts to increase common ground with father and daughter presidents, Park Chung-hee and Park Geun-hye, and to draw support from the Daegu and Gyeongsangbuk-do region were notable.

On October 27, he visited Andong, Gyeongsangbuk-do and ten days later, he visited the venue of the national congress of the Council for the Better Tomorrow Movement and former President Park Geun-hye’s residence in Daegu.

Including the event on Sunday, President Yoon has now attended the events of three major government-organized NGOs: the Korea Freedom Federation, the Korea Saemaul Undong Center, and the Council for the Better Tomorrow Movement.

During that same period, he did not have much of a message to convey about governance and integration. He did not attend the citizen-organized event in memory of the victims on the one-year anniversary of the Itaewon crowd crush on October 29 claiming the event was “political.”

When he addressed the National Assembly two days later, he refrained from attacking the previous government, but he did not mention any specific measures for cooperation with the opposition party. Although he met with Democratic Party of Korea leader Lee Jae-myung for the first time before his speech, there has been no progress in discussions of a meeting with the Democratic Party leader.