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The Hansun Foundation for Freedom and Happiness and the Korean Society of Future Studies held a joint symposium last week focusing on the present status of conservative thinking in Korea. One of the speakers said the so-called ¡°New Right Movement¡± of neo-conservatism in Korea had become too politicized and authoritarian with the launch of the Lee Myung-bak administration and that it was time to end such practices. He said Korea¡¯s conservative establishment had been too focused on regaining power and had triggered a crisis by failing to make preparations for the post-Lee Myung-bak era.
The New Right Movement began in November 2004 by former student activists now in their 30s and 40s who moved over to the conservative camp and called for change. This led to the formation of regional organizations under the New Right banner in November 2005 and a popular movement. The Hansun Foundation for Freedom and Happiness, New Right Think.net, a conservative group seeking the revision of history texts, and other groups of intellectuals were also formed.
The New Right Movement had given a new face in the form of ¡°freedom¡± and ¡°advancement¡± to an establishment that had grown lethargic over the last 30 years propelled by the outdated catchphrase of modernization. The members of the New Right Movement attacked the liberal camp, composed of former student activists during the tumultuous ¡®80s, as holding back Korea¡¯s advancement by being stuck in their pro-North Korea/anti-American ideology that mixed outdated nationalism with animosity toward the United States. The New Right played a significant role in the Grand National Party candidate¡¯s victory in the last presidential election.
But as the speaker at the seminar pointed out, the core members of the New Right had become lawmakers with the Lee administration and moved their stage to the National Assembly, while some New Right groups had begun taking on the characteristics of pro-government organizations by blindly siding with the presidential office. Some leaders of these groups are known as ¡°the president¡¯s bodyguards.¡±
At the start of the Lee administration, the leaders of these groups voiced no intentions of taking on positions in the new government. They touted themselves as ideological organizations and policy advisors that research and disseminate liberal thought. The New Right Movement said it was launched in order to form the basis and impetus for Korea¡¯s advancement. In other words, it was not a party-political force but one that sought social changes.
The conservative movement must keep its distance from the administration and return to its original form, even though it supported the GNP candidate. At this rate, there is no guarantee that the New Right Movement will not follow in the sorry footsteps of ¡°Nosamo,¡± the group of progressive Koreans supporting former president Roh Moo-hyun, who sided blindly with him on every policy and issue.
The reason why conservatives in the United States were able to lead the country for nearly 30 years following the election of Ronald Reagan in 1980 is because they had put tremendous effort into creating think tanks, developing policies and devising educational programs for students and other citizens since the defeat of Barry Goldwater, the Republican presidential candidate in 1964. If the New Right truly wants to become a force for progress, it must go back to basics.
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