The moment the bell rang, they assumed a stance simultaneously, a conditioned reflex. Today's politics, resembling 'Pavlov's dogs' displayed by the ruling party. Graphic by Hanmi Ilbo

On the 6th, the Presidential Office instructed Kim Hyun-ji, the head of the 1st Presidential Secretariat, to remain on standby within the Yongsan compound. This was to prepare for any potential summons by the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee. The Presidential Office explained this as a "measure of respect for the National Assembly," yet the ruling party's actions the following day directly contradicted this explanation.

On the 7th, during the Legislation and Judiciary Committee meeting, a physical altercation broke out between opposition lawmakers demanding Kim Hyun-ji's testimony and the ruling party lawmakers attempting to block it. Democratic Party lawmakers blocked the hallway and shouted, leading to the disruption of the meeting. The President ordered her to "be on standby," while the ruling party declared, "Absolutely no appearance," standing in opposition.

On the surface, their actions seemed at odds, but in reality, their behaviors were perfectly synchronized. The President created the appearance of being "prepared," while the ruling party achieved the practical outcome of "preventing her appearance." This is why some in the political circles call it a "scripted game."

The problem is that this scene directly contradicts the principles the Democratic Party has advocated for throughout the previous administration. The Democratic Party, which used to lecture the Yoon Suk-yeol administration and then-People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon on a "horizontal party-presidential relationship," showed behavior in the Legislation and Judiciary Committee meeting that is difficult to understand. Today's actions appear to transcend a hierarchical relationship and resemble a master-servant dynamic.

Furthermore, it is difficult to explain rationally why individual lawmakers would go to such extreme lengths. Unless there is a belief that nomination rights are effectively concentrated in the hands of President Lee Jae-myung, there seems to be no reason to engage in a physical fight in the National Assembly hallway to protect the head of the 1st Presidential Secretariat.

Consequently, some in the political circles are saying, "Are they being blackmailed?" or "Is it about nominations?" If this is true, it would reveal that the "democratic nomination system" that the Democratic Party has boasted about was merely a facade. A party where such loyalty competition and concentration of power are occurring could be seen as its nomination process being effectively a fraud.

On the scene, there were even complaints such as, "Even Kim Hye-kyung wouldn't have tried to stop it this much." Indeed, some in the political circles have sarcastically referred to it as "political wife." This criticism points to the ruling party's excessive defense revealing Kim Hyun-ji's perceived status.

What is even more serious is that the Democratic Party's actions today precisely align with what is known in political science as "reflexive obedience." Reflexive obedience refers to the situation where a subordinate organization moves instinctively under absolute power. It is a structure where actions are driven by excessive loyalty, even just by sensing the leader's mood.

The ruling party is the party that produced the President, not a subordinate agency of the President. However, today, the Democratic Party acted not as the President's collaborator, but like a "servant" protecting the whims of power. A party that abandons its own political dignity and rushes towards conditioned loyalty cannot be entrusted with national affairs.

If such a phenomenon occurs in a democratic system, that party has already lost its capacity for autonomous judgment and its checking function.

Having seized power through a destructive politics characterized by legislative and impeachment rampages, the Democratic Party has ultimately resorted to "servant politics." A party that has lost its self-purification ability has only one place to go.

#DemocraticParty #KimHyunji #NationalAssemblyAudit #FirstPresidentialSecretariat #NationalAssemblyDisruption #ReflexiveObedience #ServantPolitics #LeeJaeMyungAdministration #PartyPresidentialRelations #HanmiIlboEditorial