ABSTRACT

The 2016–2017 Candlelight Revolution was one of the most significant events in recent South Korean politics, but little attention has been paid to the powerful conservative counter-movement that accompanied and followed the candlelight protests. This counter-movement was symbolized by demonstrations by flag-carriers who found Park Geun-Hye’s impeachment and Moon Jae-In’s inauguration incomprehensible. They argued that Park was innocent, called for her release from prison, and claimed that Moon’s election was illegitimate. An analysis of speeches made during conservative counter-protests between 2016 and 2019 illustrates how these activists reject the values of a new era in South Korean political and economic life. Instead, their speeches conveyed a clear desire to have the legacy of the industrialization generation recognized in contemporary South Korea. These flag-carriers are evidence that a marginalized set of desires and aspirations about South Korean nationalism and identity coexist with the progressive views of the candlelight protesters. The persistence of such an intense and partisan worldview, however, poses a threat to the future of liberal democracy in South Korea.

摘要

2016 年至 2017 年的烛光革命是韩国近期政治中最重要的事件之一，但很少有人关注伴随烛光抗议活动而发生的强大的保守派反抗运动。这种反运动的象征是旗手的示威，他们发现朴槿惠被弹劾和文在寅的就职典礼令人无法理解。他们认为公园是无辜的，呼吁她从监狱发出，并声称月亮的选举是非法的。对 2016 年至 2019 年保守派反抗议期间的演讲进行的分析说明了这些活动家如何拒绝韩国政治和经济生活新时代的价值观。相反，他们的演讲表达了一个明确的愿望，即让当代韩国承认工业化一代的遗产。这些旗手证明了一组边缘化的关于韩国民族主义和身份的欲望和愿望与烛光抗议者的进步观点并存。然而，这种强烈和党派世界观的持续存在对韩国自由民主的未来构成了威胁。