Some regard Park’s election as threat to civic activism, while others as evolution


The election of activist Park Won-soon as Seoul mayor has brought civic groups into the political arena, raising both expectations and concerns at the same time.

Park, Seoul’s first mayor elected as an independent, is considered a leading figure the history of civil activism in Korea.

One of the founding members of the People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy, a leading liberal watchdog, he also set up and led the Beautiful Foundation and the Hope Institute.

“I intend to work for the citizens’ interest only, without being affected by inter-party disputes,” Park said when he officially announced his candidacy in September.

Throughout the electoral campaign, Park’s support rate was significantly higher than that of his rival Na Kyung-won of the Grand National Party, boosted particularly by Ahn Cheol-soo’s pledge to support him.

Park’s sudden rise alarmed not only the ruling party but also the main opposition Democratic Party, as it showed the public’s general distrust of political parties.

As Park won the liberal bloc’s sole candidacy, the DP stepped up its efforts to unite left-wing parties to help defeat the GNP in next year’s general and presidential elections.

Conventionally, such political mergers would have involved parties only, but this time, civic groups have taken a leading role.

Eyes have turned to “Innovation and Integration,” a council largely led by the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation chairman Moon Jae-in and backed by liberal civic group figures.

The group, which originally kicked off as a body to select the liberal bloc’s unified candidate, is seen as combining civic activism and politics.

Some consider such changes as an evolution of civic movements, others say they pose challenges.

“Civil groups’ independence, neutrality and ability to offer constructive criticism have long helped our society mature and advance,” said Yoon Pyung-joong, political philosophy professor at Hanshin University.

However, some could question their identity as they step into the realm of politics, he also said.

“Modern history has been shored up by a three-way balance of three major factors ― government, the market and civil society,” Yoon said.

“Civic groups may any time face criticism, should they lose their independence from the state or the market.”

Especially in South Korea, which was a military dictatorship from the 1960s to the 1980s, democracy has largely been symbolized by civic groups or star activists, he said.

Hyun Taek-soo, sociology professor at Korea University, also said that civic groups should focus on keeping their roles as a level-headed observers over state affairs to avoid losing the public trust they have steadily built up.

“Park’s involvement in the mayoral race was an act of participatory democracy but may paradoxically endanger the core spirit of civic activism,” he said.

Aware of such concerns, civic groups set out to drawing a line between themselves and the newly elected mayor.

“Park is no longer a civic activist but the city’s mayor, so he should refrain from involving the civic groups in his administration activities,” the Citizens’ Coalition for Economic Justice, a representative right-wing civic group, said through a statement, the day after the by-elections.

The PSPD also pledged to watch over Park’s mayoral performance, keeping an appropriate distance from the metropolitan government.

“Park’s election left civic groups with two major tasks,” said the PSPD.

“One is to support Park to help him to become a success model and the other to maintain a neutral and critical view of him.”

By Bae Hyun-jung (tellme@heraldcorp.com)