"Who Is the Democratic Party For?"... Second-Term Capital Region Ruling Party Lawmaker Delivers Blunt Criticism
Rep. Kim Juyoung offers candid advice to his party while analyzing the decline of Germany's Social Democratic Party
"Progressivism detached from people's lives is no longer progressive"
Kim Juyoung, a two-term lawmaker from the Democratic Party of Korea and former chair of the Federation of Korean Trade Unions, asked, “Who is the Democratic Party for?” After outlining the decline of Germany’s Social Democratic Party, Kim called for reflection, saying, “The starting point for policy should be people’s lives, not ideology or justification.”
On October 20, Kim posted a lengthy message on social media titled “The Decline of Germany’s Social Democratic Party: What Should the Democratic Party Learn?” Referring to the Hartz reforms pursued by the German Social Democratic Party, including “labor market flexibility, unemployment benefit reform, and innovation in employment services,” Kim asked, “No matter how worthy the justification for a reform may be, can it really be called a successful reform if the people who supported it turn away? Are we shifting the burden onto the people in the name of reform?”
Kim said, “The situation in South Korea today is not exactly the same as Germany’s,” but added, “I have significant concerns as I watch the various controversies surrounding our government and the Democratic Party in recent months.”
Referring to such examples as the introduction of single-stock leveraged products and tighter regulations, changes to the real estate tax system, and a comprehensive survey of farmland, Kim stressed, “Policy does not end with an announcement. It is complete only when people find it convincing, it works on the ground, and it improves their lives in tangible ways.”
Fundamentally, Kim raised the question, “Who is the Democratic Party for?” Kim posed questions including: “Do young people believe that, under a Democratic Party government, they can work hard, buy a home, and plan for the future? Do workers believe their jobs and livelihoods will be protected amid technological advances and industrial transitions? Do the self-employed and small business owners feel that the government understands how they make a living? Do farmers believe that the realities of agriculture and rural communities are adequately reflected in policy? Are middle-class people assured a stable life and fair opportunities in return for working hard and paying taxes?” Kim added, “If the Democratic Party cannot answer these questions with confidence, it must start by reassessing its policy priorities.”
Calling for change within the Democratic Party, Kim proposed that it “base policy on people’s lives, not ideology or justification; protect workers and ordinary people while restoring the trust of the middle class; strengthen policy consistency and predictability; restore intraparty democracy and social dialogue; and forge a new social contract suited to the era of AI and the energy transition.”
Describing these changes, Kim said, “This is not simply a matter of adjusting policy,” adding that it is “a process of reaffirming the values the Democratic Party upholds and whom it represents.” Kim added, “What the Democratic Party needs now is not a louder voice, but deeper reflection. The success of the president and of the Democratic Party will ultimately be complete only when people’s lives improve.”
Kim stressed, “Progressivism that has moved away from people’s lives is no longer progressive,” adding, “What the Democratic Party must protect is not power, but the people; and where it must return is not to factions or political camps, but to people’s lives.”
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Meanwhile, regarding a series of controversial remarks by party members, Kim said, “The fact is that words that fail to understand another person’s pain cannot move people’s hearts, no matter how logical they may be.” Kim added, “Politicians’ words should have dignity, and the words of those in power must carry even greater responsibility.”
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