국민 정치·대중 정치와의 상호작용 속에서 본 진보 정치

Abstract

In this paper, the author analyzes the current situation and future task of the Korean progressive political forces from the perspective inter-relating “the national politics”, “popular politics” and progressive politics. The first and second aspects of the progressive politics is that it exists as a part of the national political arena, and as one actor within the community of progressive political forces. In addition, the third one is that it stands on the popular support, which means that it exists in relation to the popular politics. Given such three aspects, the author analyzed the change in the progressive politics under the dictatorship, democratization period after 1987, under the anti-dictatorial democratic governments, and under the current neo-conservative government led by Lee Myung-Bak. The start of neo-conservative government after the 10 years of democratic governments means Korean democracy went on a new cycle of “post-democratization”. The important character of this “post-democratization” period is that the hegemony of the anti-dictatorial liberal political forces, which have been in power for the past 10 years, has come to crisis, within the democracy bloc internally and in relation to the voters externally. However, because the progressive forces don’t have a sufficient popular base to replace the liberal forces in crisis, the popular demand for a strategy of “united front of democratic and progressive forces”, which means that the liberal political forces in crisis and progressive ones in short of new leadership make a alliance to confront the neo-conservative government, became very strong, and such strategy has been successful in some areas in the local election in June 2010. Considering this complex situation, the author argued, firstly, the need for active, not passive, intervention strategy in the “united front” situation in the national politics as the first task. Secondly, concerning the solidarity formation within the community of progressive political forces, the need for a new “progressive united party” was suggested, in which the current “inner-parliament” parties such as Democratic Labour Party and Progressive New Party, and “outer-parliament” progressive political forces come together, including socialists, civil society left and so on. Its new identity was been defined as “democratic left united party”. Thirdly, the author suggested that, in order to strengthen the popular base of the progressive parties, the strategy for left hegemonic articulation is needed. This strategy can be realized in an effort of the “complex anti-neo-liberal politics”, in which anti-neo-liberal struggles and diverse democratic ones are combined.