Newt Gingrich, a senior figure in the U.S. conservative camp and former speaker of the House, said that "Korea is heading toward a pro-China communist dictatorship."
On the 22nd (local time), former Speaker Gingrich appeared on Fox News in the United States and sharply criticized the political situation in Korea. He argued, "Under the current president, Korea is in a very serious situation, heading toward a pro-Chinese, communist dictatorship (a pro-Chinese, communist dictatorship) (very serious situation)."
Gingrich is a symbol of the U.S. conservative camp who led the "Republican Revolution" in the 1990s and served as speaker of the House from 1995 to 1999. Having served 11 terms in the House, Gingrich is one of Donald Trump's mentors, and was at one point floated as a potential running mate ahead of the 2016 presidential election. His remarks still wield considerable influence over conservative public opinion in the United States. It is extremely rare for him to publicly criticize the political system of an ally, Korea, by likening it to a "communist dictatorship."
Negative perceptions of the Lee Jae-myung administration in the United States have been evident not only among elder conservative figures but also within the "MAGA (Make America Great Again)" camp leading the current Trump administration.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio attended a public memorial service for Charlie Kirk held at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on the 21st and revealed the last message Kirk sent from Korea shortly before his death. Kirk, who died on the 10th, visited Korea on the 5th, the first among Asian countries. He attended the "Build-up Korea 2025" event at KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi, and urged political participation by Korea's young conservatives.
On that day, Secretary Rubio said, "Charlie sent me a message from Korea," adding, "He said, 'I saw various concerns here. When I return to Washington, I want to talk with you.'" It means that, shortly before his death, Kirk sensed problems regarding certain situations in Korea. This remark, made publicly by America's top diplomat, became a moment that shaped the perception that the current U.S. administration is viewing Korea's political situation with suspicion.
The prevailing analysis is that former Speaker Gingrich's latest remarks are neither temporary nor off-the-cuff. He has previously contributed columns to the conservative-leaning Washington Times, consistently expressing a critical view of the current Lee Jae-myung administration.
In a column contributed on the 27th of last month, he said, "The Lee Jae-myung administration's recent all-out assault on politics and religion is suffocating," adding, "I did not expect Korea's new government to become this radical."
Earlier, on the 22nd, he published a column in the same outlet titled "Strengthening the U.S.-South Korean alliance," arguing that "the new government's attempt to jail political opponents and to attack and destroy conservative religious groups that support the opposition party is becoming an emerging danger to the U.S.-South Korean alliance."
In this column, former Speaker Gingrich noted, "Given that President Trump himself experienced the Biden administration attempting to destroy him through legal means, and that the United States is deeply committed to religious freedom, the new administration must correct these behaviors for the alliance to endure."