{"id":15063,"date":"2025-06-01T18:06:53","date_gmt":"2025-06-01T17:06:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/londonpost.news\/?p=15063"},"modified":"2025-06-01T18:09:28","modified_gmt":"2025-06-01T17:09:28","slug":"in-south-koreas-conservative-heartland-a-quiet-political-reckoning-begins-daegus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/fr\/news\/in-south-koreas-conservative-heartland-a-quiet-political-reckoning-begins-daegus\/2025\/06\/01\/admin1\/","title":{"rendered":"In South Korea\u2019s conservative heartland, a quiet political reckoning begins Daegu\u2019s"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Professor Sungchun <\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cIsn\u2019t it time for a change?<\/strong>\u201d<\/p>\n

Once regarded as the bastion of conservative politics in South Korea, the city of Daegu<\/strong> is now beginning to ask a different question. Traditionally unwavering in its support for right-leaning parties, this stronghold of nationalist sentiment and economic conservatism is showing early signs of transformation. At the heart of this change lies a name that would have been considered unlikely in years past: Lee Jae-myung, the progressive presidential candidate of the Democratic Party.<\/p>\n

On 29 May, the Democratic Party\u2019s national security delegation, together with the campaign\u2019s central outreach team, held a series of community engagements in Daegu\u2019s Dalseo district. I was honoured to join the event as senior campaign advisor and academic representative, alongside five-term lawmaker Ahn Gyu-baek.<\/p>\n

What unfolded at the gathering was more than polite welcome. It was the sound of disillusionment finding a new voice. Citizens spoke openly: \u201cThe conservatives are no longer a viable choice,\u201d \u201cThere\u2019s no one worth voting for,\u201d and finally, \u201cWe might as well choose Lee Jae-myung.\u201d These remarks, once unthinkable in this city, now reflect a broader sense of discontent\u2014disappointment with the established right and a tentative hope in the promise of reform.<\/p>\n

The afternoon continued with a meeting involving the Daegu chapter of the Liberation Association and several veterans\u2019 groups. Community leaders emphasised a quiet yet profound shift in local sentiment. \u201cDaegu is changing, slowly but surely,\u201d one remarked. \u201cThis election will be the clearest indicator yet.\u201d<\/p>\n

One such voice was that of the chairman of Daegu\u2019s Liberation Association, who urged:<\/p>\n

\u201cThis election must be a moment to restore national integrity\u2014to honour the sacrifices of those who fought for Korea\u2019s independence.\u201d<\/p>\n

His words echoed a theme long central to Korean political identity: that the legitimacy of governance stems not only from policy, but from its moral relation to historical justice. This point struck a particular chord with me, a descendant of patriots who fought and died for Korea\u2019s sovereignty over three generations.<\/p>\n

Perhaps the most striking voice came from Mr. Oh Se-gul, former chair of the Daegu Veterans\u2019 Association. Describing himself as \u201ca conservative to the core,\u201d he nonetheless asserted:<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat we need now is not conservatism in name only, but a government that actually serves the people. After the emergency martial law scandal last December, trust in the conservative bloc has collapsed. President Yoon wrecked the integrity of the right. Those who still cling to him will lose not only Daegu, but the nation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Such statements cannot be dismissed as isolated frustration. They signal an emerging reckoning within traditional power bases. Disillusionment has not turned to apathy\u2014it has evolved into a renewed call for leadership rooted in moral accountability and national stewardship.<\/p>\n

From my own conversations with citizens, I felt a clear undercurrent:<\/p>\n

\u201cThis time, we want to try something different.\u201d
\n\u201cPerhaps only Lee Jae-myung can carry Daegu into the future.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rethinking Conservatism<\/strong><\/p>\n

In Daegu, the question is no longer who best represents the conservative brand, but what it truly means to be conservative. For many, conservatism is not about preserving party loyalty or defending power. Rather, it is about protecting the dignity of the people, honouring history, and upholding the values of justice and civic responsibility.<\/p>\n

True conservatism, when untethered from cronyism and ideology, finds common cause with reform. And in Daegu, a city long synonymous with immovable political loyalty, the early signs of such a transformation are now unmistakable.<\/p>\n

This is not merely a shift in party preference. It is a recalibration of conscience.<\/p>\n

Author:Mr.Sungchun Lee is Professor of North Korean Studies, Dongguk University | Senior\"\" Advisor, Democratic Party National Security Policy Team<\/p>\n

 <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Professor Sungchun \u201cIsn\u2019t it time for a change?\u201d Once regarded as the bastion of conservative politics in South Korea, the city of Daegu is now beginning to ask a different question. Traditionally unwavering in its support for right-leaning parties, this stronghold of nationalist sentiment and economic conservatism is showing early signs of transformation. At […]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":15067,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":""},"categories":[779],"tags":[1551,8744,9629,9637],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/SK.jpg","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15063"}],"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=15063"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15063\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15066,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15063\/revisions\/15066"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15067"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15063"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15063"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15063"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}