{"id":14969,"date":"2025-05-27T09:19:03","date_gmt":"2025-05-27T08:19:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/londonpost.news\/?p=14969"},"modified":"2025-06-04T13:01:36","modified_gmt":"2025-06-04T12:01:36","slug":"why-lee-jae-myung-must-lead-south-korea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/fr\/analysis\/why-lee-jae-myung-must-lead-south-korea\/2025\/05\/27\/admin1\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Lee Jae-myung must lead South Korea"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Kim Hong-chul\u00a0<\/strong>
\nIt has now been 173 days since the Constitutional Court of South Korea annulled an attempted political insurrection by reaffirming the authority of the democratically elected National Assembly. Yet, the return to normalcy has been anything but simple. One must wonder whether what we previously called \u201cnormal\u201d was in fact a mirage\u2014merely the illusion of order, distorted by the entrenched privileges of a powerful few.<\/p>\n

I recall standing in Gwanghwamun Square amid a biting wind, alongside fellow members of the National Security Forum Cheongunmanma<\/em>, calling for the impeachment to be upheld. It was a moment we thought inevitable, yet its achievement was hard-won. Since then, however, the ordinary assumptions of justice and lawfulness have been steadily eroded. The belief passed down through generations\u2014that \u201cthe law is always just\u201d\u2014has crumbled in the face of a judiciary seemingly governed by internal hierarchies rather than the rule of law.<\/p>\n

Is it truly possible that such democratic backsliding could unfold in what is considered the world\u2019s 10th largest economy?<\/p>\n

More:https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/president-lee-jae-myung-vows-to-unite-nation-launches-reform-focused-administration\/<\/a><\/p>\n

And yet, amidst a compromised legal structure, there remain individuals of principle. Their defiance thwarted a brazen attempt to manipulate electoral outcomes. But in a legal culture where authority is absolute and dissent rare, how long can their courage endure? Even more disturbing is the fact that large segments of the public, under the banner of \u201cconservatism\u201d, continue to support the very institutions undermining democratic integrity.<\/p>\n

More:https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/in-south-koreas-conservative-heartland-a-quiet-political-reckoning-begins-daegus\/\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/restoring-honour-to-the-korean-military-and-seeking-peace-in-northeast-asia\/<\/p>\n

As a former general and now a professor and columnist, I cannot see such actors as conservatives in any meaningful sense. To me, they crossed a line long ago. One must ask\u2014what did they witness on 3rd December? Did they not see armed interference with the legislature and the symbolic turning of weapons against the citizenry? Have they forgotten that this election is taking place in the shadow of insurrection?<\/p>\n

The speed at which our democratic institutions appear to be deteriorating seems to mirror the descent of public reason.<\/p>\n

Yet democracy offers one powerful remedy: the ballot. If, as former presidents have insisted, the \u201corganised power of awakened citizens\u201d and the \u201cconscience that acts\u201d are mobilised, then injustice can be countered through democratic means. Thankfully, we are not without a worthy leader.<\/p>\n

Lee Jae-myung is a man forged by adversity\u2014a former child labourer who has overcome disability and profound personal loss. As a public servant, he has built hospitals, opened parks, and stood firm in the face of relentless disinformation. He walks the alleys of Korea\u2019s towns and cities, listening not to the powerful, but to the people. He possesses a rare combination of empathy, resilience, and administrative expertise\u2014across legislation, the judiciary, governance, and defence.<\/p>\n

He is, in every sense, prepared to lead. As of 4th June, he is ready to serve the nation.<\/p>\n

Now is the time for citizens to unite behind him\u2014to transform disillusionment into hope, and fear into resolve.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

For the past 15 days, I have travelled with Cheongunmanma<\/em>, supporting the Democratic Party\u2019s campaign across the country. Most recently, at Cheongnyangni Station in the heart of Seoul, I stood alongside thousands of citizens and prominent leaders\u2014Members of Parliament, former Navy Admiral Boo Seok-jong, former Policy Director Lee Jong-hwa, former Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Choi Hyun-guk. In their expressions, and in the chants of the crowd, I sensed an undeniable yearning for change.<\/p>\n

We want a nation where the people are sovereign, where nights are peaceful and daily life secure. We want a flourishing economy that can lead on the global stage\u2014defended by a capable and principled military. Above all, we want to ensure that no future generation endures the trauma of democratic collapse.<\/p>\n

And so we shout\u2014not as an empty cry, but as a promise.<\/p>\n

Let 3rd June mark the beginning of that promise fulfilled.<\/p>\n

\"\"About Author: Kim Hong-chul\u00a0<\/strong> is Retired General, Columnist, and Professor of National Security in South Korea.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Kim Hong-chul\u00a0 It has now been 173 days since the Constitutional Court of South Korea annulled an attempted political insurrection by reaffirming the authority of the democratically elected National Assembly. Yet, the return to normalcy has been anything but simple. One must wonder whether what we previously called \u201cnormal\u201d was in fact a mirage\u2014merely […]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":14972,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[299,1551,9622],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/S_Korea2.jpg","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14969"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14969"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14969\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15152,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14969\/revisions\/15152"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14972"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14969"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14969"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14969"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}