Why the ‘Yoon Again’ Rally Cry Signals a Dangerous Backslide

A Rally Cry of Regression

At the July 24 convention, Democratic Party spokesperson Baek Seung-ah condemned the People Power Party’s ‘Yoon Again’ slogan as a retreat from democratic values, accusing the party of amplifying voices that praise martial law and election-fraud conspiracies rather than renewal
By shouting ‘Yoon Again’, candidates aligned with former President Yoon Seok-youl’s impeachment resistance and extreme-right views captured the spotlight, signaling a return to polarizing politics rather than forward-looking reform

Eroding Strongholds

Despite once commanding 65% support in Daegu and Gyeongbuk, the party’s backing in its southern heartland has plunged below 35%, with even voters over 70 abandoning ship
Community polls on Daum showed fans lamenting that the party has become a ‘playground for extremists’, while Tistory bloggers warned that losing middle-ground voters risks cementing a hard-line identity that alienates moderates

The Silver Mark Scandal

Meanwhile, controversy erupted over First Lady Kim Geon-hee’s social-media account receiving a government-only silver-mark certification, prompting accusations of state-power misuse
Naver blog posts detailed how the foreign ministry was allegedly mobilized to secure a mark typically reserved for official public figures, deepening distrust in the administration and fueling calls for an independent special counsel investigation

Voices from Online Communities

At Naver and Tistory, netizens debated whether the convention’s focus on factional clashes and redemptionist slogans betrayed the party’s promise to the people
Positive comments applauded candidates for standing by Yoon Seok-youl, while more than half of the threads expressed dismay at what they view as a spectacle of ‘fan politics’ overriding policy discourse
DCInside threads reflected frustration that the party risks becoming irrelevant if it continues catering only to a vocal hard-line base

Cultural Insight for Foreign Readers

Korean party conventions often blend policy debate with performative solidarity, but the rise of ‘fandom politics’—where charismatic figures mobilize online supporters—has introduced new dynamics
Understanding this shift helps explain why slogans like ‘Yoon Again’ resonate: they tap into collective memories of impeachment trauma and promise unity against perceived betrayers, mirroring patterns seen in global populist movements