Lee Jae-myung. Yonhap News

Using National Sentiment as a Tool for Power Performance on the 80th Anniversary of Liberation Day

On the 80th anniversary of Liberation Day, the President will hold another appointment ceremony. This refers to the 'National Appointment Ceremony' that President Lee Jae-myung has announced.

It is difficult to understand the idea of holding another appointment ceremony when the National Assembly has already elected the President, and the inauguration has been formally completed according to the procedures stipulated by the Constitution. Furthermore, this is to be held on August 15th, Liberation Day, which commemorates liberation and independence. At this point, political intentions are questionable. Why would the President seek to reappoint himself?

Ultimately, there is only one problem: anxiety about the legitimacy of the regime, and that is the essence of all these events.

The Lee Jae-myung administration, launched in June through the push-through election by the majority opposition party, is still not free from the question of whether it is a 'president directly chosen by the people.' If the choice of a political performance titled 'National Appointment Ceremony' was made to cover up that anxiety, it is a dangerous choice that prioritizes emotion over the Constitution.

A president's appointment is a singular and solemn constitutional procedure. The National Assembly elects the president, the National Election Commission announces the results, and the president is granted authority through an oath of office before the people. This process is not merely a formality but an institutional mechanism that guarantees the legitimacy of power.

An attempt to be 'reappointed' in a public square, ignoring this process, is a political deviation that weakens the authority of the National Assembly and threatens the separation of powers. The desire to orchestrate the symbol of 'the people appointed me' ultimately leads down the path of populism, consuming legitimacy like a theatrical performance.

Moreover, the fact that the stage for this performance is 'Liberation Day' makes it even more serious.

Liberation Day is not a day for a specific regime. The meaning of that day is diminished the moment a national commemoration, celebrating liberation and the start of constitutional rule, is distorted into a personal political event for the president. This attempt to use history as a backdrop for performance is nothing less than a political appropriation of national collective memory.

This administration has continued its political offensive, defining former President Yoon Suk-yeol's martial law as 'rebellion' and labeling the previous conservative forces as 'far-right.' Now, it seeks to package its political legitimacy by overlaying it with the symbol of 'the people's appointment.' The idea is to fill the void where laws and procedures are insufficient with emotion and the applause of the crowd. However, the authority gained in such a way will only become a boomerang that erodes itself.

The Republic of Korea is a representative democratic country where the people directly elect the president. The legitimacy of power is granted within the procedures guaranteed by the Constitution. The mandate of the people is given through elections, not through the staging of political events. The moment the president is reappointed on a stage, they fall into the delusion that they are above the Constitution. That is the most dangerous misunderstanding of democracy.

Most importantly, if this administration truly wishes to regain legitimacy now, it must transparently investigate the allegations of election fraud raised during the election process.

That is the true path to restoring democracy and the first step toward regaining legitimacy from the people and the international community. In diplomatic negotiations with major allies, including the United States, trust stems from procedural legitimacy. If only symbols are emphasized while ignoring this, the regime will ultimately lack persuasiveness to anyone.

President Lee Jae-myung must reconsider.

Liberation Day is not a day for the regime. Restraint, not a show, and dignity, not performance, earn a president respect. Legitimacy is not reaffirmed; it is proven through the Constitution and responsibility.

'National Appointment Ceremony' is not an appointment but a confession. It is a dangerous confession that this administration lacks confidence in its own legitimacy.

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