The Grand National Party (GNP) and other elements that call themselves conservative often lose themselves in fond memories. Sometimes they even talk about these memories out loud. The latest example is their nostalgia for military coups. They know that by bringing the issue up, they are showing disdain for South Korea’s mature democratic consciousness and the hard-won effort to keep the military out of politics. But still they indulge, and the feeling you get is that an anti-democratic nature runs in their veins.
Previously, only fringe groups had made the suggestion, but this time it is the GNP expressing a longing for a coup. "The coup in Thailand should not be written off as something that applies only to others," said the party spokesman. "The Roh Moo-hyun administration should learn a lesson from the Thai coup." The GNP later explained that it was just issuing some strong advice, but how can it bring a coup d’etat into conversation?
It was an unforgivable threat issued to the South Korean people, who have had to experience the destruction of constitutional government, human rights abuses, and official corruption in the course of Korea’s coups, the "May 16 Coup d’etat" of 1961, the "Yusin Coup d’etat" of 1972, the military revolt of December 12, 1979, and the "New Military’s" takeover that came with the expansion of martial law on May 18, 1980.
Just two years ago, just after the National Assembly impeached president Roh, Ewha Womans [sic] University professor Kim Yong-seo made comments encouraging retired generals and Assembly members to overthrow the government. In short, he said that the "only way to overthrow a leftist regime established through a legitimate process and restore a liberal democratic system would be a military coup." The "National Action Headquarters" (Gungmin Haengdong Bonbu), an organization composed mostly of retired military brass, issued a statement saying that "if the police and prosecution don’t crack down on treasonous elements" - referring to Roh - "the only remaining hope the people have is the military." Cho Gap-je, editor at the time of the Monthly Chosun, the Chosun Ilbo’s magazine, said that "the people have a right to resist, and ’the people’ includes soldiers."
The GNP spokesman’s statement comes from the same kind of thinking. Granted, Thai prime minster Thaksin Shinawatra should have stepped down. His family’s awe-inspiring corruption, his disregard for the constitution in calling an early general election, and his fraudulent transfer of power were all inexcusable. Still, nothing was cause for the military to get involved. When the democratic process collapses, democracy itself collapses, and physical strength becomes the dominating principle. The undemocratic nature of coups is symbolized by the fact that the first thing the forces behind them do is make sure parliament ceases to function. So when the spokesman of a political party can stand in Korea’s National Assembly and speak of the possibility of a military coup, is that because the party chairman came of age working for the Agency for National Security Planning during Chun Doo-hwan’s Fifth Republic? Or because the former party chairwoman was the "daughter" of the Yusin regime?
The GNP is refusing to confirm a nominee for the Constitutional Court, saying the nomination went against constitutional procedures. Now it is trying to pretend it never talked about a military coup, which is all about the destruction of constitutional government. How can it possibly call itself a legitimate political party charged with the duty of defending democracy?
[Editorial] GNP’s nostalgia For military coups |
