Civil Society Elders Urge South Korean Politicians to 'Return to Plaza's Original Intentions'

A group of prominent figures from South Korean civil society has issued a strong appeal to the current administration and the ruling party, urging them to abandon partisan squabbles and internal conflicts and reconnect with the spirit of the massive candlelight protests that led to the previous president's impeachment. The statement, titled "Let's Return to the Original Intentions of the Plaza," was released by the National Council for Civic Sovereignty and Social Reform.

“

We are seeing politics once again diverging from the will of the citizens, even though the government has changed.

The council expressed concern that despite a change in government, the lives of ordinary citizens have not improved. Instead, they observe politics once again becoming detached from the public's will. The statement specifically criticized the main opposition Democratic Party, which is facing intense internal conflict ahead of its national convention, for ignoring civil society consultations and causing public anxiety through its internal disputes. The group lamented that barely a year after the impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye, politics has reverted to partisan warfare and power struggles, leaving citizens as mere spectators.

"The citizens in the plaza wanted not just a transfer of power, but a fundamental change in their lives," the statement read. They called on the political sphere to use power as a tool for reform, prioritize integration over division, and cooperation over competition, ultimately returning the power entrusted by the public back to the public. The council warned that democracy loses its vitality when the power of the plaza fades, citizens become distant from politics, and power seeks to dominate the people.

“

The citizens in the plaza wanted not just a transfer of power, but a fundamental change in their lives.

Seo Woo-young, head of the situation room for the Citizens' Movement Promotion Committee for the Plaza, explained the background of the statement to the Hankyoreh. He stated that the ruling Democratic Party seems to lack a broad vision for the future country envisioned by the citizens after the "Candlelight Revolution." Instead, the party is engrossed in internal battles, with even party leader Lee Jae-myung being drawn into these disputes. The elders felt compelled to issue this call for a return to original principles as a last resort due to their frustration with the situation.

“

The ruling Democratic Party is engrossed in internal battles, rather than designing the future of the country that the citizens of the 'Candlelight Revolution' wanted to build.