Hong Sehwa

Hong Sehwa (10 December 1947 – 18 April 2024) was a South Korean journalist and New Progressive Party delegate. He was known as a representative South Korean socialist. Hong criticised imperialism and nationalism, according to the socialist perspective.

Political views
Hong evaluated that both extreme right-wing anti-North Korean statist "conservatives" and anti-Japanese nationalist "liberals" are [anti-socialist] conservatives, and that true progressives or leftists have never had a government in South Korean politics.

Hong Sehwa was critical of South Korean liberals' anti-Japanese nationalism. He saw liberals using radical rhetoric that appears to be anti-imperialist on the outside, ironically curbing the growth of the South Korean socialist movement. He thought neither Japanese conservative-nationalists nor South Korean liberal-nationalists speak for the working class.

He took the view that the term "Japanese imperialism" was somewhat exaggerated by liberals, and liberals compromise with chaebol for anti-Japanese nationalistic reasons. He also took a critical view of the fact that South Korean [mainly DPK] liberals never criticize American imperialism. South Korean socialists criticize American imperialism, that Japanese nationalism is encouraged by the United States to keep China in check.

In 2022, Hong joined the Green Party Korea, making him a dual member of Green Party and the Labor Party.

Hong died from cancer on 18 April 2024, at the age of 76.