President Yoon Suk-yeol declares martial law in an emergency special national address on the night of December 3rd last year. Yonhap News

The Democratic Party of Korea has announced its intention to push for December 3rd to be designated as a 'Democratization Movement Commemorative Day'. However, no one sees this as a genuine intent to establish a commemorative day. The Democratic Party put forth this proposal knowing it was practically impossible to enact.

Why did they resort to such a reckless move?

The answer lies in two reasons: fear of the trial, and the preemption of the narrative for the election.

First, the Democratic Party fears the outcome of former President Yoon Suk-yeol's insurrection trial, scheduled for February next year.

This is because the trial is unfolding in a direction contrary to expectations. As testimony changes within the chain of command, manipulation of memories, and confusion in the military command structure are revealed in court, the 'insurrection frame' painted by the administration is beginning to crack.

What the Democratic Party has chosen in this situation is the political manipulation of "December 3rd = Democratization Movement." This is a method of defining events by words rather than facts, aiming to overlay a narrative on public opinion before any verdict.

While they've framed it as pursuing a commemorative day, the real objective is clear.

It is an indirect interference with the trial, intended to pressure the court and alter the interpretive framework of the case.

Second, the Democratic Party aims to preempt the narrative for the local elections.

The calculation is to fix the narrative into a structure of former President Yoon Suk-yeol as 'insurrectionist' and the Democratic Party as 'democratizers,' thereby dominating the emotional narrative throughout the entire election campaign. The establishment of a commemorative day is merely a political prop to legitimize that narrative. For them, realism is not important. What matters is to preempt the framing first.

The problem is that this reckless move goes beyond a simple political dispute.

What the Democratic Party is doing now is a clear pressure tactic against the judiciary.

Even before the facts have been verified, the administration is attempting to alter the atmosphere of the trial by first applying the label of 'democratization.' Politics throws out words, but those words can cast a shadow on the court's deliberations.

A greater problem is the attitude of trying to reshape history according to the regime's needs.

Democratization is not a political metaphor. It is not a decorative term that the regime can arbitrarily attach to cover up momentary fears. Historical designations are formed through the accumulation of facts, verification, and consensus.

The Democratic Party is trampling on this most basic order.

To summarize:

The Democratic Party is not trying to create a commemorative day. They are afraid of the trial and desperate for the election. That fear has spawned political manipulation. That manipulation is simultaneously undermining history and the judiciary.

When a regime begins to use history as a tool of politics, the first thing to crumble is the rule of law, followed by the memory of the community. History might record this day as the day a 'responsible president' stepped down from office to verify suspicions of electoral fraud following the people's command. It is an uncertain prospect.

The Democratic Party must immediately cease this dangerous game.

History is not made by momentary fears.