{"id":2202335,"date":"2023-09-22T17:00:16","date_gmt":"2023-09-22T08:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/?p=2202335"},"modified":"2023-09-25T18:23:53","modified_gmt":"2023-09-25T09:23:53","slug":"why-opposition-leaders-hunger-strike-is-different-from-those-that-came-before","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2023\/09\/why-opposition-leaders-hunger-strike-is-different-from-those-that-came-before\/","title":{"rendered":"Why opposition leader\u2019s hunger strike is different from those that came before"},"content":{"rendered":"
South Korea faces heightened political tension following the National Assembly\u2019s decision on Thursday to <\/span>approve<\/span><\/a> a motion that could allow the arrest of main opposition Democratic Party (DP) leader Lee Jae-myung. The charges against Lee revolve around allegations of <\/span>bribery, breach of trust<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>unauthorized financial transactions<\/span><\/a> with North Korea during his tenure as mayor of Seongnam City and governor of Gyeonggi Province.<\/span><\/p>\n Lee, now on the 23rd day of his \u201c<\/span>indefinite<\/span><\/a>\u201d hunger strike, cites an assortment of reasons for his protest, including the Yoon administration\u2019s <\/span>economic policies<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>clampdown on press freedom<\/span><\/a>, a lack of senior officials taking <\/span>responsibility<\/span><\/a> for last October\u2019s <\/span>Itaewon crowd crush disaster<\/span><\/a> and the <\/span>failure to oppose<\/span><\/a> Japan\u2019s release of its ALPS-treated contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant.<\/span><\/p>\n While hunger strikes have historically been a form of protest employed by notable South Korean political figures, the nuances of Lee\u2019s current strike attract significant attention. Experts suggest that Lee\u2019s protest could simultaneously convey a call for democratic principles and function as a strategic defense against possible prosecution in light of his legal challenges.<\/span><\/p>\n WELL-WORN PATH<\/b><\/p>\n The decision in Thursday\u2019s plenary session cleared the way for Lee to face a court\u2019s warrant review. However, his ongoing hunger strike and subsequent <\/span>hospitalization<\/span><\/a> have clouded his potential attendance at the impending hearing set for <\/span>next Tuesday<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n On Monday, South Korean prosecutors <\/span>requested<\/span><\/a> an arrest warrant for Lee, citing allegations of bribery and breach of trust. This move marks the culmination of a <\/span>drawn-out legal standoff<\/span><\/a> between Lee and the prosecution.<\/span><\/p>\n However, critics such as Yoo Sang-beom, a spokesperson for the ruling People Power Party (PPP), <\/span>denounced<\/span><\/a> Lee\u2019s hunger strike, suggesting it was a strategy to garner public sympathy. Yoo remarked on Sept. 20 that Lee embarked on his hunger strike when he realized the likely issuance of his arrest warrant, aiming to sway opinion against the parliamentary motion seeking consent for his arrest.<\/span><\/p>\n Hunger strikes have periodically punctuated South Korea\u2019s political landscape. Lee Jae-myung joins the ranks of numerous politicians and former presidents who have resorted to this form of protest. These strikes have typically spotlighted broad political issues and demanded societal reform.<\/span><\/p>\n Kim Seong-tae, a former PPP lawmaker who held a <\/span>nine-day hunger strike<\/span><\/a> in 2018, reflected on the act during a radio interview. He <\/span>labeled<\/span><\/a> it \u201ca form of resistance\u201d and noted it\u2019s often seen as \u201cthe last and ultimate resort.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n One of the most notable uses of the hunger strike in South Korean politics occurred in 1983 when Kim Young-sam, an opposition leader and democracy who later became president 10 years later, challenged then-South Korean leader Chun Doo-hwan. Kim, under house arrest at the time, <\/span>embarked<\/span><\/a> on a 23-day fast, advocating for a democratic presidential system, the release of political prisoners and enhanced press freedom.<\/span><\/p>\n Historians often attribute Kim\u2019s strike as instrumental in rallying support for democratic voting and a subsequent constitutional change. Another political heavyweight, Kim Dae-jung, elected president in 1998, also <\/span>engaged<\/span><\/a> in a 13-day hunger strike in 1990, demanding local elections. Under pressure, the Roh Tae-woo administration heeded this call, with local elections <\/span>held<\/span><\/a> the following year.<\/span><\/p>\n Fast forwarding to 2014, then-opposition leader Moon Jae-in expressed solidarity with Kim Young-oh, a parent of a <\/span>Sewol ferry disaster<\/span><\/a> victim. Moon <\/span>fasted<\/span><\/a> alongside Kim for over a week, who sought legislation for an independent examination of the tragedy.<\/span><\/p>\n In 2019, Hwang Kyo-ahn, leader of the primary conservative opposition at the time, went on an <\/span>8-day hunger strike<\/span><\/a> outside the Blue House, South Korea\u2019s former presidential residence. He urged the Moon administration to reconsider reform bills and recommit to the <\/span>General Security of Military Information Agreement<\/span><\/a>, a military intelligence-sharing pact, with Japan.<\/span><\/p>\n