[Changing Korean Voters] Short Interview with the Author: ④ The Emergence of Young Conservatives, Have 20-Somethings Changed Their Minds?

YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bvQh0N8JMo

The East Asia Institute (EAI) is operating the project <Changing Korean Voters>, which researches the 20th presidential election and reform agendas in Korean politics based on a panel survey of voters conducted with Korea Research. Following the release of special reports by the research team confirming the current state of public opinion, we present key points for observing trends in public sentiment changes revealed by this election through short interview videos with the authors.

■ Author: Han Jeong-hoon, Professor at the Graduate School of International Studies and Director of the EU Center at Seoul National University. He lectures on Korean politics, parliamentary and party politics, and comparative politics. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Rochester in New York, USA, and taught at the Department of Political Science and International Relations at Soongsil University before joining SNU. His primary research interests include electoral and parliamentary systems, party politics and parliamentary politics, and the politics of the European Union. He has published numerous articles in major international and domestic journals, including European Union Politics, Journal of European Public Policy, Korea Observer, Contemporary Politics, and Korean Political Science Review.

■ Responsible Person and Editor: Jeon Ju-hyun, EAI Research Fellow

Contact: 02 2277 1683 (ext. 204) | jhjun@eai.or.krEAI Researcher

    Inquiries: 02 2277 1683 (ext. 204) | jhjun@eai.or.kr

Video Transcript

As part of this project, the topic I researched is the political attitudes and behaviors of young voters, generally referred to as those in their 20s, in contemporary Korean society. Specifically, I am addressing the question of whether they exhibit certain changes in terms of ideological orientation and candidate selection compared to previous elections. In particular, I am examining the question of whether young people are generally becoming more conservative. This topic is significant because as young people enter the actual political process, their political perceptions and behaviors form new patterns, and they can drive societal change. Therefore, understanding how young people are changing is crucial for predicting the future of Korean society.

To address this research topic specifically, we need to consider a few things. First, is the group generally referred to as young voters, or voters in their 20s, a homogeneous group? In other words, who are these young people? I believe we must first resolve this question. In my research, I discuss how to define young people from two perspectives. One is defining young people in terms of biological age.

The other is defining young people sociologically as those in a transitional phase. Generally, in Korean society, young people are discussed based on biological age, particularly those in their 20s, ranging from those who have reached the voting age to 29. However, the issue is that when candidates formulate pledges for young people, these pledges, considering Korean election laws and the Youth Basic Act, apply up to the age of 34. Therefore, defining young people simply as those in their 20s, from 18 to 29, may not be a very practical definition.

In particular, we need to observe more cautiously whether those in their early 20s, mid-20s, and early 30s exhibit the same tendencies and voting behaviors. Therefore, in this study, I have divided young people into those aged 24 and under (young people in their early 20s) and those up to 34 years old, and examined whether there are consistent ideological orientations and voting behaviors between these groups.

Through these questions, we should be able to observe if young people in Korean society have become conservative, and if this applies consistently across the entire group up to age 34, exhibiting similar ideological orientations and voting behaviors. To answer these questions, I conducted several analyses, which can be summarized into three points. First, ideological conservatism is prominent only among young people aged 24 and under in Korean society. Specifically, those aged 25 to 34 do not show strong conservative tendencies and maintain a progressive orientation, even more so than the middle-aged demographic in their 50s.

Second, while young people aged 24 and under prioritize candidate pledges, those aged 25 to 34 voted based on the candidate's personal qualities. Lastly, regarding party and candidate support, those aged 34 and under generally showed stronger support for the People Power Party and candidate Yoon Suk-yeol. In conclusion, when considering young people aged 34 and under in Korean society, they can be divided into groups based on ideological orientation and criteria for candidate selection. In terms of ideological orientation, we cannot generalize young people as being under 34; only a slight conservative tendency is observed among the very young, those aged 24 and under. However, in terms of voting behavior, there is a general tendency to support the People Power Party and candidate Yoon Suk-yeol among young people.

These findings lead to two implications. First, it is difficult to conclude that young people have become conservative. Rather, it is likely that young people showed a stronger tendency to support the People Power Party and candidate Yoon Suk-yeol in the context of the 2012 presidential election. Second, the question of whether young people in Korean society have become conservative requires more in-depth analysis in a longer-term context.