Hong Sa-deok (洪思德, 5 March 1943 – 17 June 2020) was a politician of South Korea. He served six terms as a National Assembly member and as the 16th Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly.
Education
Biography
School years
He graduated from Yeongju National School in 1955 and from Yeongju Middle School in 1958. In 1961 he graduated from Seoul National University Affiliated High School, and in 1962 he entered the Department of Diplomacy at Seoul National University, graduating from Seoul National University in 1968.1
After graduating in 1968, he served as vice chairman of the Korea Journalists Association.23 He later served as spokesperson of the New Democratic Party (신민당). He was known for his sharp, instant commentary (寸鐵殺人, "killing with a small iron blade") while serving as the party's spokesperson, and he also worked as a broadcast political commentator.4
Military service
While enrolled in the Department of Diplomacy at Seoul National University, he volunteered for the Marine Corps in 1962 (130th class) and served for two years as an enlisted soldier (honor guard). He was the first enlisted Marine from Seoul National University. His son also served in the Marines (702nd class).5
Entry into politics
In the 11th National Assembly election of 1981, he was elected as a member of the Democratic Korea Party (민한당).6 Some hold that in the mid-1980s he brought about the collapse of the New Democratic Party through the so-called "Lee Min-woo Plan" (이민우 구상).7 He later served as spokesperson of the New Democratic Party, vice president of the Democratic Party, and spokesperson of the Democratic Party.6
The Fifth and Sixth Republics
After the 12th general election of 1985, the New Korea Democratic Party (신민당), which absorbed the Democratic Korea Party (민한당), a de facto government-sanctioned opposition party, transformed into a large opposition party with over 100 seats. It declared a fierce struggle against the Fifth Republic, with direct presidential elections as its main demand. At the time, Kim Young-sam and Kim Dae-jung were bound by political restrictions, so the party's president was Lee Min-woo, but he had almost no real power. Hong, serving as party spokesperson under Lee Min-woo, made a strong impression as a junior, second-term lawmaker.
In 1986, as the Democratic Justice Party's cabinet system and the New Korea Democratic Party's direct-election constitutional amendment failed to reach agreement, the political situation fell into deadlock. Lee Min-woo, the party president, then put forward the so-called "Lee Min-woo Plan," stating that "if democratization measures come first, we can accept a cabinet system." This plan was reportedly driven in substance by Hong Sa-deok. However, the two Kims, who held the largest shares within the party, firmly rejected it. Although this discord soon subsided, the rift between the accommodationists, such as Lee Min-woo and Lee Chul-seung, and the militant faction led by the two Kims deepened, and internal party conflict intensified. Eventually, in 1986, the two Kims decided they could no longer work with the accommodationists within the New Korea Democratic Party, and had their supporting lawmakers leave the party to found the Reunification Democratic Party.
After the 13th presidential election of 1988, he advocated a line opposing both Kims. However, ahead of the 14th presidential election, he joined the Democratic Party and worked as spokesperson for the campaign of candidate Kim Dae-jung.3
After the two Kims split following the restoration of direct presidential elections, Hong remained an independent lawmaker. In the 13th general election he ran in Gangnam District B in Seoul but lost to Lee Tae-sup, and was pushed out of the National Assembly. Later, in 1990, he joined the Democratic Party (the so-called "Little Democratic Party") led by Lee Gi-taek, who had refused the three-party merger, together with Roh Moo-hyun, Park Chan-jong and others. In 1991, when the Democratic Party merged with the New Korea Democratic Party led by Kim Dae-jung to form the Unified Democratic Party, he joined it and was elected in the 14th National Assembly election (Seoul, Gangnam B).
Meanwhile, he became one of the targets of the Defense Security Command (국군보안사령부) and was monitored by the Roh Tae-woo administration. This was revealed on about 6:40 p.m. on 4 October 1990, through the disclosure by Private Yun Seok-yang, a deserter who had been a member of the Minhak Chamber (민학투련) while studying at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies.8 After deserting, Yun Seok-yang made a "declaration of conscience" at the Korea National Council of Churches' Human Rights Committee office on the 7th floor of the Christian Building in Yeonji-dong, Seoul, disclosing the personal index cards of persons under surveillance that he had taken from the Defense Security Command when he deserted, as well as a computer diskette containing the entries.8
After 1990
However, after the 1995 local elections, when Kim Dae-jung returned to politics and had lawmakers leave the Unified Democratic Party to found the National Congress for New Politics (새정치국민회의), Hong opposed this and did not join Kim's party, remaining independent. In the 15th National Assembly election of 1996, he ran as an independent in Gangnam District B and was elected.3
In 1997, while still an independent legislator, he was appointed as the last Minister of State for Political Affairs of the civilian government, but he did not join the ruling New Korea Party (신한국당). After the Kim Dae-jung government took office in 1998, he continued his legislative work as an independent until early 2000.9 In 1999, he served as an auditor of the Unseok Chang Myon Memorial Society.
After joining the Grand National Party
On 19 January 2000, together with Chang Ki-pyo, he declared the founding of a provisional "Rainbow Alliance" (무지개연합) under the slogan "Eliminating one-man boss politics and regionalism," but after only eight days the Rainbow Alliance dissolved, and it was said that he had caused its collapse.107 On 27 January, he suddenly joined the Grand National Party (한나라당).31112 Some criticized him, asking whether the Grand National Party was the final destination of the elimination of one-man boss politics that he had long advocated.2
Immediately after joining, he and Park Geun-hye, then vice president of the Grand National Party, served as joint chairman of the Grand National Party's joint election campaign committee for the 16th National Assembly general election. He was elected as a Grand National Party proportional representation member and, on 5 June 2000, became Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly.13
In 2004, as the Grand National Party's floor leader, he, together with Democratic Party floor leader Yu Yong-tae, pushed through the impeachment motion against President Roh Moo-hyun.14 In the 17th National Assembly general election, he ran in the Goyang Ilsan District Gap constituency in Gyeonggi Province but lost by a narrow margin to Han Myeong-sook of the Uri Party.14
In 2005, he applied for the nomination in the by-election for the Gwangju constituency in Gyeonggi Province. However, the Grand National Party made Jeong Jin-seop a strategic nominee, reasoning that the backlash over the impeachment had not yet subsided. Hong refused to accept this and ran as an independent, but he lost.15
In 2007, together with Ahn Byung-hoon, head of the publishing house Kiparang, he served as co-chairman of the campaign committee for Park Geun-hye, former chairwoman of the Grand National Party, who was running in the party's presidential primary.16 However, since he was still out of the party, there was controversy over his eligibility during the campaign. In July he applied to rejoin the party,17 but this was blocked due to opposition from the camp of Lee Myung-bak.18 On 30 July 2007, the presidential candidate Lee Myung-bak claimed that he would certainly lose, a "Lee Myung-bak will lose" theory. Lee Myung-bak's spokesperson, Park Hyung-joon, responded by calling Hong Sa-deok a "party-destroying expert" who was once again blocking a change of government.7
In March 2008, he served as co-chairman of the campaign committee of the "Pro-Park Alliance" (친박연대). He ran in Seo District, Daegu, a stronghold of the Grand National Party, in the 18th National Assembly general election, and was severely condemned by the Grand National Party and the Daegu chapter of the Progressive New Party (진보신당) for lacking political decency and being a "turncoat."19
He defeated the Grand National Party candidate Lee Jong-hyeon by an overwhelming margin of over 60% and was elected. After being elected, he rejoined the Grand National Party.20 In the 19th National Assembly general election in April 2012, he ran in the Jongno constituency in Seoul but lost to Chung Sye-kyun of the Democratic United Party, a four-term senior lawmaker from the Honam region. On 29 October 2012, he was indicted without detention on charges of violating the Political Funds Act.21
Afterwards, he served as chairman of the Korean National Council for Reunification (민화협), and when the attack on the U.S. ambassador to South Korea occurred, he offered his resignation, which was not accepted. He continued to serve as the council's representative chairman until the government changed and he stepped down.
He was hospitalized from September 2018 and died of chronic illness on 17 June 2020.
Legislative activities
- 11th National Assembly: Member for the Democratic Korea Party (Yeongju, Yeongpung, Bonghwa, Yeongyang, North Gyeongsang)
- 12th National Assembly: Member for the New Korea Democratic Party (Yeongju, Yeongpung, Bonghwa, Yeongyang, North Gyeongsang); spokesperson of the New Korea Democratic Party; member of the National Assembly Steering Committee; vice president of the Democratic Party
- 14th National Assembly: Member for the Democratic Party (Gangnam District B, Seoul); member of the National Assembly Labor Committee; spokesperson of the Democratic Party
- 15th National Assembly: Member for the Grand National Party (Gangnam District B, Seoul); Minister of Political Affairs 1; chairman of the Grand National Party Central Election Committee
- 16th National Assembly: Member for the Grand National Party (proportional representation); Deputy Speaker of the 16th National Assembly; chairman of the Grand National Party Special Committee on Political Reform; member of the National Assembly Committee on Unification, Foreign Affairs and Trade; floor leader of the Grand National Party
- 18th National Assembly: Member for the Saenuri Party (Seo District, Daegu); member of the National Assembly Committee on Culture, Sports and Tourism
Statements
On 29 August 2012, he said: "The Yushin system was not something Park Chung-hee, the former president, implemented to maintain his own power, but a measure to exceed 10 billion dollars in exports."22
On 11 July 2012, he said: "Asking Park Geun-hye, the former chairwoman, to evaluate the May 16 military coup is like asking Sejong the Great whether the founding of the state by King Taejo Yi Seong-gye was a revolution by replacing the dynasty or a military coup."23
In July 2012, he said: "Within a few meters of Park Geun-hye, former committee chairwoman, do not admit anyone aged 55 or older except Kim Chong-in, the committee chairman."24
Time capsule for descendants
On 6 January 2022, political companions who had shared Hong Sa-deok's life's work, namely Yang Jae-hoon, Kim Eul-dong, Kim Ki-hwan, Kim Hyung-jin, Oh Doo-hwan, Son Ho-ik, Park Tae-jun, Park Mi-chul, Heo Jeong-yun, Yun Sung-wook, Choi Young-seop, Park Yun-seo, Kim Geun-ho, Lee Sung-woo, Kim Sang-hwan, Lee Haeng-gon, Hwang Young-il, Kim Yu-jae, Park Woo-yong, Lee Geum-tae and Lee Jae-hwa, erected a memorial stone at the Sunheung birthplace site and interred a time capsule beneath the memorial stone, in order to convey the wishes and legacy of the deceased to descendants.
The time capsule contains a variety of materials that offer a glimpse into the political history of South Korea in the turbulent 20th and 21st centuries, including the deceased's books and columns, press articles, photographs, election-related materials, business cards, badges, videos and voice recordings, in both physical and digital file form. In addition, messages from Hong Sa-deok's comrades to future generations are included, so that the purpose of the time capsule will be fully conveyed to later generations.
The time capsule and its contents were designed with thorough waterproof and dustproof construction so that descendants 400 years from now in South Korea can open them in their original condition. This reflects the hope that future descendants will understand and carry on Hong Sa-deok's wishes and spirit, and contribute to the development of South Korea.
Works
- Now, Are You Sleeping? (지금, 잠이 옵니까?)25
- My Dream, My Challenge (나의 꿈, 나의 도전)
Notes