Conservatism (Korean: 보수주의; Hanja: 保守主義; RR: bosujuui) in South Korea is a political and social philosophy characterized by Korean culture and from Confucianism. South Korean conservative parties largely believe in stances such as a developmental state, pro-business, opposition to trade unions, strong national defense, anti-communism, pro-communitarianism, pro-United States and pro-European in foreign relations, pay attention on North Korean defectors, sanctions and human rights, and recently free trade, economic liberalism, and neoliberalism.
Starting from the dictatorship of Syngman Rhee, South Korean conservatism has been influenced from the military dictatorshipsofPark Chung-hee and Chun Doo-hwan. In domestic policy, South Korean conservatism has a strong elitist streak and promotes rapid modernization and social stability.[1] Since the mid-to-late 2010s, conservatives with right-wing populist tendencies have become more prominent in the public sphere.
Unlike conservatives in the United States, conservatives in South Korea often define themselves as liberals. Both groups fervently denounce socialism and refer to themselves as anti-socialists. They are distinct from the general liberals in South Korea.[2][3][4]
South Korea's conservative philosophy is derived in part from the traditional East Asian valuesofcommunitarianism and Confucian social conservatism, along with modern influences such as economic neoliberalism, leading to support for economic liberalism and opposition to welfare states. However, given the influence of the Park Chung-hee era on conservative's thinking, they also advocate for certain forms of economic interventionism which they think critical to maintain this system.
They are also more likely to support upholding the National Security Act.[5] Because of this, conservatives are less likely to solely prioritise ethnic nationalism, with their nationalism being a mixture of it with civic nationalism, making them more receptive to multiculturalism and immigration than liberals. Modern conservatives are generally against LGBT rights and feminist activism.
The anti-communist tendencies of South Korean conservatives has led to perceptions by progressives and liberals that conservatives foster McCarthyist-like red scares among the public.[6][7][clarification needed] This includes an incident before the 1996 Legislative elections, where conservative lawmakers were arrested for secretly meeting with North Korean agents in Beijing to seek North's help in manipulating the outcome of the election in exchange for payoffs.[8] The North fired artillery into the Join Security Zone on the DMZ, which caused panic among South Korean electorates, benefiting the conservative party.[8]
Conservatism in South Korea is fervently anti-communist. South Korean conservatives oppose warming relations with North Korea, and therefore wish to strengthen the US-ROK alliance in order to improve South Korean security, in contrast to South Korean progressives who prefer détente with North Korea through the Sunshine Policy along with either maintaining the US-ROK alliance as is or softening it.[9] However, there is a split between moderates and hardliners among conservatives, with the former emphasizing issues related to North Korean defectors and identifying themselves as liberals, while the latter takes up the traditional aggressive emphasis on anti-communism and pro-Americanism.[5]
Before democratisation in 1987, South Korean conservatives were characterised not only by anti-communism, but also authoritarianism and developmentalism. After 1987, there was a trend in conservatism towards rebranding as the New Right and focusing on economic neoliberalism. In addition, conservatives adapted to the new democratic environment by increasing the number of conservative activist groups and online presence.[5]
Following 1987, the South Korean public became less interested in issues such as class and politics than in the past, and thus, overall, both progressives and conservatives shifted their messaging; the former shifted from radical politics to supporting the likes of social democracy and welfare expansion, whereas the latter emphasised neoliberal values such as "freedom, capabilities, and competition of individuals".[5]
The large city of Daegu, although a site of radical politics in the earlier postwar era, was transformed under the rule of Daegu-born Park Chung-hee and today has been called a "citadel of conservatism" in South Korea.[10] The southeastern region of the country, once collectively known as Gyeongsang, is where Daegu is found and this entire region is known for being particularly conservative, as can be seen in modern election results.
Following the success of Lee Myung-bak in the 2007 presidential election, some viewed it as a return to conservatism in South Korea after a decade of rule under progressive presidents, although an analysis by David C. Kang let him to argue that it was a turn towards centrism among the populace, given Lee's pragmatic business-minded tendencies, rather than traditional "arch-conservatism" of candidate Lee Hoi-chang. For instance, Lee pursued a more constructive and realistic foreign policy relationship with China in contrast to what more strident anti-communists would prefer, indicating the modern unpracticality of demonising China, even among conservative heads of state. During the campaigning seasons, Lee's aides also worked to present his approach as being "neither left nor right".[11]
Jeong Tae-heon, a professor of Korean history at Korea University has expressed concerns that disputes over the term Jayuminjujuui (Korean: 자유민주주의; lit. "liberal democracy" or "free and democracy") reflect a strong conservative bias reacting against North Korea's political ideologies, similar to political views seen in 1950.[12] The term liberal democracy as used by South Korean conservatives has a different connotation than in the Anglosphere, as its reflects the anti-communism and state-guided economic develop of the pre-1987 era.[5]
In 2020, People Power Party (South Korea)'s leader Kim Chong-in apologized for the Gwangju Democratization Movement.[13] But some conservative citizen groups such as the Korean Council for Restoration National Identity and American and Korean Friendship National Council protested at UNESCO headquarters in Paris in May 2011 to prevent inscribing the records of the Gwangju Democratization Movement in the Memory of the World Register, and to petition for "reconsidering identifying North Korean Special Forces as the perpetrators of the GDM.[14]
The political party that once were ruling party are in bold. KIP is the exception for being a ruling party during Provisional Governmental era.
The Chojoongdong media cartel wields the largest political influence in the South Korean political scene through newspaper and other print publications. The three media cartels have been criticized for fabricating stories against North Korea to support conservative rhetoric.
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Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org.
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| Election | Total seats won | Total votes | Share of votes | Outcome of election | Status | Election leader | Party Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1948 |
55 / 200
|
1,755,543 | 26.1 | new 55 seats; Minority | in government | Rhee Syng-man | NARRKI |
| 1950 |
24 / 210
|
677,173 | 9.7 | new 24 seats; Minority | in government | Yun Chi-young | Korea Nationalist Party |
14 / 210
|
473,153 | 6.8 |  41 seats; Minority
|
in government | Rhee Syng-man | National Association | |
0 / 210
|
17,745 | 0.3 | new 0 seats; Minority | in opposition | Korea Independence Party | ||
| 1954 |
114 / 203
|
2,756,061 | 36.8 | new 114 seats; Majority | in government | Rhee Syng-man | Liberal Party |
3 / 210
|
192,109 | 2.6 | 11 seats; Minority
|
in government | National Association | ||
3 / 203
|
72,923 | 1.0 | 21 seats; Minority
|
in government | Yun Chi-young | Korea Nationalist Party | |
| 1958 |
126 / 233
|
3,607,092 | 42.1 |  12 seats; Majority
|
in government | Rhee Syng-man | Liberal Party |
0 / 233
|
50,568 | 0.6 | 3 seats; Minority
|
in government | Rhee Syng-man | National Association | |
| 1960 |
2 / 233
|
249,960 | 2.8 | 124 seats; Minority
|
in opposition | Rhee Syng-man | Liberal Party |
0 / 233
|
26,649 | 0.3 | new 0 seats; Minority | in opposition | Korea Independence Party | ||
| 1963 |
110 / 175
|
3,112,985 | 33.5% | new 110 seats; Majority | in government | Park Chung-hee | Democratic Republican Party |
0 / 175
|
1,122,357 |
12.1% | extra-parliamentary | in opposition | – | Others | |
| 1967 |
129 / 175
|
5,494,922 | 50.6% | 19 seats; Majority
|
in government | Park Chung-hee | Democratic Republican Party |
0 / 175
|
957,378 |
8.8% | extra-parliamentary | in opposition | – | Others | |
| 1971 |
113 / 204
|
5,460,581 | 48.8% | 16 seats; Majority
|
in government | Park Chung-hee | Democratic Republican Party |
| 1973 |
146 / 219
|
4,251,754 | 38.7% | 40 seats; Majority
|
in government | Park Chung-hee | Democratic Republican Party |
| 1978 |
145 / 231
|
4,695,995 | 31.7% | 2 seats; Majority
|
in government | Park Chung-hee | Democratic Republican Party |
| 1981 |
151 / 276
|
5,776,624 | 35.6% | new 151 seats; Majority | in government | Chun Doo-hwan | Democratic Justice Party |
25 / 276
|
2,147,293 | 13.2% | new 15 seats; Minority | in opposition | Kim Jong-cheol | Korean National Party | |
| 1985 |
148 / 276
|
7,040,811 | 34.0% | 3 seats; Majority
|
in government | Chun Doo-hwan | Democratic Justice Party |
20 / 276
|
1,828,744 | 9.2% | 5 seats; Minority
|
in opposition | Kim Jong-cheol | Korean National Party | |
| 1988 |
125 / 299
|
6,675,494 | 34.0% | 23 seats; Minority
|
in government | Roh Tae-woo | Democratic Justice Party |
35 / 299
|
3,062,506 | 15.6% | new 35 seats; Minority | in opposition (1988-1990) | Kim Jong-pil | New Democratic Republican Party | |
| in government (1990-1993) | |||||||
0 / 299
|
65,032 | 0.3% | 20 seats; extra-parliamentary
|
in opposition | Lee Man-sup | Korean National Party | |
| 1992 |
149 / 299
|
7,923,719 | 38.5% | new 149 seats; Minority | in government | Roh Tae-woo | Democratic Liberal Party |
31 / 299
|
3,574,419 | 17.4% | new 31 seats; Minority | in opposition | Chung Ju-yung | United People's Party | |
| 1996 |
139 / 299
|
6,783,730 | 34.5% | new 139 seats; Minority | in government (1996-1998) | Kim Young-sam | New Korea Party |
| in opposition (1998-2000) | |||||||
50 / 299
|
3,178,474 | 16.2% | new 50 seats; Minority | in opposition (1996-1998) | Kim Jong-pil | United Liberal Democrats | |
| in government (1998-2000) | |||||||
| 2000 |
133 / 273
|
7,365,359 | 39.0% | new 133 seats; Minority | in opposition | Lee Hoi-chang | Grand National Party |
17 / 273
|
1,859,331 | 9.8% | 35 seats; Minority
|
in government (2000-2001) | Kim Jong-pil | United Liberal Democrats | |
| in opposition (2001-2004) | |||||||
3 / 273
|
695,423 | 3.7% | new 3 seats; Minority | in opposition | Cho Soon | Democratic People's Party | |
1 / 273
|
77,498 | 0.4% | new 1 seats; Minority | in opposition | Kim Yong-hwan Heo Hwa-pyeong |
New Korea Party of Hope | |
0 / 273
|
3,950 | 0.0% | new 0 seats; extra-parliamentary | in opposition | Heo Kyung-young | Democratic Republican Party | |
| 2004 |
121 / 299
|
7,613,660 | 35.8% | 24 seats; Minority
|
in opposition | Park Geun-hye | Grand National Party |
4 / 299
|
600,462 | 2.8% | 6 seats; Minority
|
in opposition | Kim Jong-pil | United Liberal Democrats | |
0 / 299
|
144,106 |
0.68% | extra-parliamentary | in opposition | – | Others | |
| 2008 |
153 / 299
|
6,421,654 | 37.5% | 32 seats; Majority
|
in government | Kang Jae-seop | Grand National Party |
18 / 299
|
1,173,463 | 6.8% | new 18 seats; Minority | in government | Lee Hoi-chang | Liberty Forward Party | |
14 / 299
|
2,258,750 | 13.2% | new 14 seats; Minority | in government | Suh Chung-won | Pro-Park Coalition | |
| 2012 |
152 / 300
|
9,130,651 | 42.8% | new 152 seats; Majority | in government | Park Geun-hye | Saenuri Party |
5 / 300
|
690,754 | 3.2% | 13 seats; Minority
|
in government | Sim Dae-pyung | Liberty Forward Party | |
0 / 300
|
567,484 |
2.66% | extra-parliamentary | in opposition | – | Others | |
| 2016 |
122 / 300
|
7,960,272 | 42.8% | 30 seats; Minority
|
in government (2016-2017) | Kim Moo-sung | Saenuri Party |
| in opposition (2017-2020) | |||||||
0 / 300
|
163,980
|
0.69% | extra-parliamentary | in opposition | – | Others | |
| 2020 |
103 / 300
|
11,915,277 (Constituency) 9,441,520 (Party-list PR) |
41.45% (Constituency) 33.84% (Party-list PR) |
8 seats; Minority
|
in opposition | Hwang Kyo-ahn | United Future Party (Constituency) Future Korea Party (Party-list PR) |
0 / 300
|
51,885 (FPTP)
|
0.18% (FPTP) 2.06% (PR) |
extra-parliamentary | in opposition | – | Others | |
| 2024 |
108 / 300
|
13,179,769 (Constituency) 10,395,264 (Party-list PR) |
45.73% (Constituency) 36.67% (Party-list PR) |
5 seats; Minority
|
in government | Han Dong-hoon | People Power Party (Constituency) People Future Party (Party-list PR) |
0 / 300
|
15,392 (FPTP)
|
0.53% (FPTP) 0.81% (PR) |
extra-parliamentary | in opposition | – | Others |
| Election | Metropolitan mayor/Governor | Provincial legislature | Municipal mayor | Municipal legislature | Party Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 |
5 / 15
|
284 / 875
|
70 / 230
|
Democratic Liberal Party | |
4 / 15
|
82 / 875
|
23 / 230
|
United Liberal Democrats | ||
| 1998 |
6 / 16
|
224 / 616
|
74 / 232
|
Grand National Party | |
4 / 16
|
82 / 616
|
29 / 232
|
United Liberal Democrats | ||
| 2002 |
11 / 16
|
467 / 682
|
136 / 227
|
Grand National Party | |
1 / 16
|
33 / 682
|
16 / 227
|
United Liberal Democrats | ||
| 2006 |
12 / 16
|
557 / 733
|
155 / 230
|
1,621 / 2,888
|
Grand National Party |
| 2010 |
6 / 16
|
288 / 761
|
82 / 228
|
1,247 / 2,888
|
Grand National Party |
1 / 16
|
41 / 761
|
13 / 228
|
117 / 2,888
|
Liberty Forward Party | |
0 / 16
|
3 / 761
|
0 / 228
|
19 / 2,888
|
Pro-Park Coalition | |
| 2014 |
8 / 17
|
416 / 789
|
117 / 226
|
1,413 / 2,898
|
Saenuri Party |
| 2018 |
2 / 17
|
137 / 824
|
53 / 226
|
1,009 / 2,927
|
Liberty Korea Party |
| 2022 |
12 / 17
|
540 / 872
|
145 / 226
|
1,435 / 2,987
|
People Power Party |
... '자유'라는 말만큼 요즘 그 의미가 새롭게 다가오는 단어도 드물다. 주말마다 광화문에서 열리는 태극기집회에 가면 '자유민주주의 수호'란 구호를 귀가 따갑도록 들을 수 있다. 그분들이 말하는 자유는 자유한국당의 '자유'와 일맥상통하지만, 1960년 4·19 직후 김수영 시인이 쓴 시의 한 구절 "어째서 자유에는 피의 냄새가 섞여 있는가를"에 나오는 '자유'와는 사뭇 다르다 ... 십수년 전 워싱턴특파원 시절, 가장 곤혹스러운 영어단어 중 하나가 '리버럴'(liberal)이었다. 미국에선 '리버럴' 하면 보통 민주당 지지자나 진보주의자를 뜻하는데 ...[... Few words have a new meaning these days as much as the word "liberal". If you go to the Taegukgi rallies held at Gwanghwamun every weekend, you can hear the slogan "Guardian of Liberal Democracy." The liberal they say is in line with the Liberty Korea Party's "liberal", but it is clearly different from "liberal" in a verse from a poem written by poet Kim Soo-young shortly after 19 April 1960. ... When I was a Washington correspondent decades ago, one of the most embarrassing English words was "liberal". In the United States, "liberal" usually means a Democratic supporter or progressive, but if it is incorporated into a sentence ...]
... 윤희숙 국민의힘 의원은 민주당 의원들이 발의한 사회적경제기본법을 자유주의의 적이라고 규정했고 ...[... Yoon Hee-sook, a member of the People Power Party National Assembly member, defined the Framework Act on Social Economy proposed by Democratic Party of Korea as an enemy of liberalism ...]
On the other side, the contingencies of the ritual seem to become more tactile and controversial in the public spaces of Seoul where one can witness the extent to which "Red complex" has been reinvigorated. In this scheme, political and religious conservatives view liberal and progressive South Koreans as pro-North leftist Reds. It is fairly common that in any public space, such as Seoul City Hall Plaza, one might find politically conservative evangelical Christians holding pickets on which the terms chongbuk chwappal ("pro-North Korea leftist-red") are printed along with the term tongsŏngae ("homosexuality").
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Conservatism in Asia
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