Minjoo Party of Korea

[[File:Logo of the Minjoo Party of Korea.svg|thumb|right|165px|Logo of the Minjoo Party of Korea]]
{{politics}}
The '''Together Democratic Party''' (더불어민주당, ''Deobureominjudang''), also known as the '''Minjoo Party of Korea''' (민주당) and the '''Democratic Party of Korea''', is a mainstream liberal{{efn|South Korean political standards. Except for the issue of [[Feminism|women's rights]], the party is close to the right and conservatism in Western European and United States political standards on social issues.}} party in [[South Korea]]. They are notorious for taking a position close to conservatism, not liberalism, on a number of social issues.{{efn|[[Lee Hae-chan]] the party's leader, caused controversy for his discriminatory remarks against [[Vietnam|Vietnamese]] women and his [[Hate speech|hate speech]] against [[Disability|disabled]] people, But he did not lose significant support and is still the party leader. 
The leader of the center-left liberal party made the like [[Neo-Nazism|neo-Nazi]] or [[Donald Trump]] [[Hate speech|hate speech]] remarks.
 [[Human rights]] groups are demanding his resignation. but he did not apologize properly and the incident was ended with happening.}}

The party supports appeasement towards [[North Korea]] through the [[Sunshine Policy]]. There is a bit of [[Nationalism|nationalist]] inclination. but the party is somewhat friendly towards [[Illegal immigration|immigration]].

As for the [[United States|U.S.]], the party is less friendly than the main opposition [[People Power Party|United Future Party]].{{efn|Since the inauguration of the Obama administration, the U.S. has been taking a fairly pro-Japanese diplomatic line to check China. Minjoo Party basically has a very negative tendency towards Japan's [[Liberal Democratic Party (Japan)|right-wing government]]. But on social issues, liberal Minjoo Party and progressive [[Justice Party (Korea)|Justice Party]] is more friendly to American culture than the conservative [[People Power Party|United Future Party]].}} The party has a negative view of Japan due to historical and political reasons.{{efn|Japan had colonized Korea in the past. Japan also committed various war crimes in World War II (ex. Exploitation, slaughter, sexual slavery, forced labor, etc.). Also, officials and the military, who collaborated with the Japanese Empire in the past, have colluded with the political right-wing since liberation. For this reason, liberals and leftists in South Korea, made up of former independence<small>(the Japanese colonial period)</small> and democracy<small>(the military dictatorship)</small> activists, have a negative view of Japan.}}

DPK shows an active tendency to intervene in the economy, but is hostile to [[trade union]]s. In fact, the DPK government has had frequent conflicts with South Korea's largest union, the KCTU (Korean Confederation of Trade Unions), and eventually arrested Yang Kyung-soo, chairman of the KCTU.<ref>https://www.hani.co.kr/arti/society/labor/1020044.html</ref>

The party has a discriminatory and conservative view of the mentally disabled. The party advocates the compulsory hospitalization system for mentally ill people without trial. It also indirectly advocates rampant violence against the mentally ill.{{fact}}

The [[Women's Violence Prevention Act (South Korea)|Women's Violence Prevention Act]] (여성폭력방지기본법) was enacted in 2018 to protect ''only  biological women''. This was criticized by men in their 20s and [[LGBT]] human rights organizations. Some men in their 20s think the act proves that the party is gynocentric.{{fact}} 

The Minjoo Party signed a party cooperation protocol with the [[United Russia]] in 2018.<ref>https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20171214074900001</ref> However, after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the Minjoo Party suspended all cooperation with United Russia.

Since 2021, DPK has begun to accept the views of men in their 20s who are [[Anti-feminism|anti-feminist]]. DPK created the "Commission against both [[Misandry]] and [[Misogyny]]".<ref>"https://www.pressian.com/pages/articles/2021112411462254476#0DKU</ref>

In recent years, a growing number of progressive and liberal voters have shown their dissatisfaction with Minjoo. They narrowly lost the 2022 Presidential election to [[Yoon_Suk_Yeol|"Korean Trump"]], arguably because of spoiler candidate Sim Sang-Jung of the [[Justice Party (South Korea)|Justice Party]].<ref>{{wpa| 2022 South Korean presidential election |}}</ref> In the 2024 legislative election, Minjoo lost the popular vote due to the new {{wpl|Rebuilding Korea Party}}. It still won the election because Rebuilding Korea did not contest constituency seats.<ref>{{wpa| 2024 South Korean legislative election |}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Democrat In Name Only]] — The DPK embraces Keynesianism economically, but many cultural policies, including LGBT and disabled rights, are '''FAR''' more conservative than social liberal parties in Europe, Japan, and the United States.
** [[Blue Dog Democrats]] — Their more socially moderate counterparts in [[America]].
* [[Social conservatism]]
* [[Sunshine Policy]]
* [[Moon Jae-in]] — Former  President of South Korea.
* [[Kim Eo-jun]] — He is one of the most fanatical supporters of the Minjoo Party.
* [[Lee Hae-chan]]
* [[Park Young-sun]]
* [[Transphobia]] — In 2020, transgender rights groups demanded major South Korean political parties to take a position on related issues, and the progressive Justice Party actively expressed its position, but the conservative PPP and the "liberal" DPK of South Korea, refused to express its position.<ref>https://hopeandlaw.org/%EA%B2%BD%ED%96%A5%EC%8B%A0%EB%AC%B8-%ED%8A%B8%EB%9E%9C%EC%8A%A4%EC%A0%A0%EB%8D%94%EC%9D%B8%EA%B6%8C%EB%B2%95%EC%A0%95%EC%9D%98%C2%B7%EB%85%B9%EC%83%89%EB%8B%B9-%E2%97%8B/</ref>
* [[Keum Tae-sup]] — He was once one of the main figures of the Minjoo Party, but is now not a member of the party.
* [[DINO]]
* [[Social liberalism]] — Since this party is a center-left party, it is officially classified as a social liberal party, but there is controversy over this.

== External links ==
* [https://qz.com/970015/being-a-progressive-politician-in-korea-doesnt-stop-you-from-being-homophobic/ Being a progressive politician in Korea doesn’t stop you from being homophobic]
* [https://edition.cnn.com/2020/07/15/asia/seoul-mayor-accuser-harassment-intl-hnk/index.html South Korea's President says he's a feminist. Three of his allies have been accused of sex crimes]
* [https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/01/20/trump-south-korea-park-geun-hye-justice-healing/ It’s Time for Justice, Not Healing. (The United States needs to follow South Korea’s post-impeachment example.)]
* [https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/07/south-koreas-poisonous-gender-politics-a-test-for-next-president South Korea’s poisonous gender politics a test for next president]

==Notes==
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==References==
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{{stub|Politics}}
__NOTOC__
[[Category:South Korean politics]]
[[Category:East Asian political parties]]
[[Category:Liberal political parties]]
[[Category:Social liberal political parties]]
[[Category:Ableism]]
[[Category:Homophobia]]
[[Category:Transphobia]]
[[Category:Misnomers]]

Categories: South Korean politics, East Asian political parties, Liberal political parties, Social liberal political parties, Ableism, Homophobia, Transphobia, Misnomers