A step closer to the privatization of the DP

If this is not the privatization of a political party, what is?

The Democratic Party (DP) plans to insert the “basic society” so ardently championed by its former leader Lee Jae-myung into its party platform. A political party’s platform is an apparatus to proclaim the values and visions it pursues. The new article includes the goals of achieving “a fair society” where all citizens are allowed to compete under fair conditions; “a basic society” which overcomes wealth polarization and inequality; and “a unified nation” that addresses generational, gender and regional conflicts. The new platform will be announced on Aug. 18, when the DP holds the national convention to elect its new leadership.

Among the three concepts, the “basic society” is Lee’s iconic brand. Declaring his rebid for the chairmanship, the former DP leader stressed “the establishment of new national visions for new growth and a basic society.” The DP presupposes Lee’s re-election as the party leader and tweaks its official activities to fit his bid for the presidency of the country. But Lee has not yet been elected as head of the party or its presidential candidate for the 2027 election.

Strictly speaking, Lee is just one of the three candidates for the party leadership. It doesn’t make any sense for a public party to bend its platform in favor of a particular candidate. Kim Du-kwan, Lee’s rival, criticized the insertion of Lee’s commitments into the party platform for “being extremely biased.”

The justification for “basic income” — the axis of Lee’s “basic society” — is still being contested in the West. How to fund the basic income is also unclear. Even during the liberal Moon Jae-in administration, many DP members were critical of the basic income scheme. But after Lee wielded absolute power over the nominations of candidates in the past parliamentary elections, DP lawmakers are poised to insert the controversial article into the platform without any discussion. If this is not the privatization of a political party, what is?

Kim lambasted the party’s National Innovation Committee, loyal to Lee, for trying to decide the direction of the party. He even compared the committee to an exclusive group of senior military officers during the authoritarian government. “The act of frequently changing our party constitution to benefit the leader — and the phenomenon of his private organization dominating the party’s official organizations — are unprecedented in the history of the DP,” he said. “If only one person represents our party, we can’t draw support from others.”

Nevertheless, critical voices are not heard in the party. Kim’s candid criticism can never broaden its support base. But Lee aficionados are shouting in chorus, “If you don’t like our party, you just leave it.” This is a sad portrait of the majority party.