The support rate for the People Power Party is 21%, the reason for standing at the brink of historical extinction.

The Identity and Political Role of the People Power Party

Political parties are not merely a means to acquire political power. They are a key instrument for conveying the collective will of the people into institutional politics, responding to the demands of the times, and designing the future of the community. In the political history of South Korea, conservative parties have led the government for a long time by advocating the values of industrialization, national security, and the rule of law. However, now, the People Power Party is revealing a devastating fracture in both its justification and its reality. According to a recent survey by Korean Gallup, the approval rate for the People Power Party plummeted to 21%, and the gap with the Democratic Party of Korea reached a staggering 25 percentage points. This is not merely a decline in numbers but a collective message that a majority of the people no longer accept the People Power Party as their political representative. Particularly alarming is the fact that support among the core base of traditional conservatives, those aged 60 and above, has dropped to half its previous level, which should be interpreted as a signal of structural disintegration rather than a mere temporary backlash.

Collapse of Representation - A Party Abandoned Even by Its Conservative Base

The foundation of a political party is 'representation.' If a party does not fulfill the role of gathering the demands and sentiments of the people and translating them into delegations and policies, it is merely an organization with a name. The People Power Party has long distanced itself from this representation. The departure of the so-called traditional conservative demographic, which includes middle-aged and elderly individuals, is not merely due to one disappointment but rather a sustained accumulation of distrust. The disappearance of substantive livelihood policies, recurring leadership conflicts, and an unreliable nomination process have made even existing supporters turn away.

Party Without Philosophy - The Disappearance of Ideology

Political parties should be philosophical communities, not interest groups. However, the People Power Party can no longer show any philosophy under the name of 'conservatism.' Traditional conservative ideologies such as market freedom, national security, and individual responsibility have disappeared, and in their place, strategies for maintaining power and media play have taken over. Even as new era demands such as the end of neoliberalism, ESG, digital transition, and the alleviation of social inequality emerge, the People Power Party remains trapped in a 20th-century discourse. The result of ignoring the evolution of conservatism in line with the times is a disconnection from the era.

Repetitive inertia – structural fixation without personnel renewal

The People Power Party cries for 'renewal' every time it loses an election. However, that renewal has always been limited to a 'show of changing only personnel.' There is no system reform, the party's operation is vertical, and candidate nominations remain opaque. External talent does not flow in, and rather, internal vested interests are strengthened. Political diversity is eliminated, and internal democracy exists only in form. The result is that the People Power Party appears as a closed political group that can no longer reflect the diverse voices of the people.

Party without Policy - An Existence Detached from the People's Lives

The People's Power Party is unable to present substantial policies or philosophies on the issues that voters actually care about today—youth housing, aging population, climate crisis, educational inequality, gender equality, labor flexibility, and more. While they are immersed in political strife and framing battles, they have become increasingly disconnected from the lives of the people. A political party only has vitality when it is in touch with the lives and realities of the public. However, the People's Power Party has lost that connection and has fallen to a status of being an 'unnecessary party' to the voters.

Irony of Vanishing in the Name of Conservatism

The People Power Party claims to represent conservatism, but in reality, it is walking the path of self-destruction by undermining the values of conservatism. The current image of this party reflects a total failure of the party system. If things continue this way, the People Power Party will soon be dismantled or remain as a hollow organization within the party system. However, this is not the end of conservatism in South Korea. Rather, the exit of the old conservatism could mark the beginning of a new conservatism. What is needed now is not political engineering, but a restoration of philosophy. Coexisting conservatism, future-oriented conservatism, and lifestyle-oriented conservatism are still valid political spaces. However, the People Power Party has lost its qualifications, capabilities, and trust. For the healthy development of South Korean politics, it would be honest for the current People Power Party to dissolve. This should not just be a reflection of one party's failure but lead to a contemplation of conservatism as a whole.