KOREA FOCUS

The new year has dawned, but the darkness wrapping the Taean area in the province of South Chungcheong is yet to be completely cleared. Nonetheless, hundreds of thousands of volunteers who have visited the area to clean up the giant oil spill reminds us of the sheer fact that, after all the calamities, people kindle hope for the sufferers. The Taean disaster has sent an alarming message to those people who rush headlong only looking forward. Although many people tend to believe that all things ceaselessly evolve and progress, they must be aware of the eventuality that horrible catastrophes often arise from inattention and carelessness, caused in part by the obsession to look the future but failing to make routine checks.

The new year marks the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Korea. Over the period, the country has seen remarkable progression that features “contracted industrialization” and “contracted democratization.” But, due to arrogance and absurdity of its political leaders, the nation has had to experience numerous tribulations and crises that have entailed severe suffering and sacrifices. Braving the ordeals, the people have achieved democracy and built the country to be ranked as the 12th largest economy in the world. On the other hand, however, the widening gap between haves and have-nots, prevailing corruption and collective egoism, mutual distrust and abhorrence tainted the Republic`s image, much like the oil spill in the Taean area.

A new government will set sail in late February with the inauguration of the next president. The incoming administration`s motto aims at “national advancement,” which is comparable to major achievements of the previous governments since 1948 ? namely, from national foundation and industrialization to democratization. It is meaningful to set a new goal of national administration to suit the flow of the times. Yet, experiences of the past regimes underline the need to guard against inadvertently inviting misfortunes when the power elite are engrossed in a utopian future, in virtual disregard of real and potential problems.

The incoming government leaders also advocated a bold approach to boosting economic progress based on “pragmatism.” Then, what is pragmatism? Hu Shi, a renowned philosopher and father of pragmatism in modern China, once stressed the need to make “more studies of outstanding problems, while talking less about ideologies.” Thus, a laxity in making close observations of pending problems and taking appropriate corrective and reform measures would run against pragmatism in carrying out the next government`s paramount task ― economic recovery.

In order to ensure a sustainable economic growth, the nation is fundamentally required to have a sound economic constitution. Although Korean society has registered remarkable progress since 1987 in political democratization, little development has been made in democratization of its economic and social sectors. What`s more, in the wake of the 1997 financial crisis, legacies of “development dictatorship” of authoritarian previous governments were coupled with the enforcement of neoliberal economic policies to complicate such troublesome issues as the boundless global competition, mammonism and social polarization, which undermined the country`s socioeconomic health.

Eradication of Outdated Practices

While calls for national advancement are being chanted, Korea today faces formidable challenges on various fronts. Though its economic growth rate is never too low by the global average, the country suffers from a weak employment environment. An increase in national wealth does not assure an enhanced standard of living. Worsening polarization in almost all socioeconomic fields has emerged as a structural national issue that defies ordinary prescriptions, while problems arising from a rapidly aging society with a low birth rate threaten potential future development. The incoming administration would certainly have difficulties in achieving national advancement with its avowed policies focused primarily on market liberalization and economic development.

Only when a wide range of complex structural problems are properly dealt with, our society can take real actions to implement pragmatism in its pursuit of advancement, or becoming an advanced country. There is the need for a shift in conception; that is, to discard the narrow-minded conception that economy is paramount in settling all prevalent problems. Vitally required for a sustained economic progress and national advancement are a sound economic structure and steps to straighten customary practices and procedures to assure their soundness. To be more precise, effective measures are needed to eradicate outdated business practices by establishing fair and transparent market competition, improving corporate governance and remedying unfair transactions between large conglomerates and medium and small enterprises.

In addition, a prerequisite to becoming a truly advanced country are social and cultural assets that support and ensure the rule of law and democratic practices in all societal fields. Especially, trustworthiness and truthfulness make up central assets. Lessons should be learned from the poor experience of the outgoing Roh Moo-hyun administration as to how it lost the driving force to materialize the goals of its ambitious agenda. In a society pervaded by distrust, goal-oriented endeavors are often overshadowed by tendencies to worship wealth and positions. Also precarious in such an environment is not only confident leadership but also entrepreneurial initiatives based on challenges and ventures.

On the contrary, a sound country is a society that is run by a system highlighting law and order, noblesse oblige on the part of the leading class, fair competition and compensation, and understanding and generosity. It is a society in which the people do not regret paying tax and the government and civil servants regard tax money as precious and valuable as their own money.

However, in Korea today, more than a majority of the people are found to be either dodging tax altogether or paying less than their dues. At government offices, revenue officials are often found to be taking bribes for helping tax evasion and agencies squander tax money and traffick public posts under the pretext of “customary practice.” Educational and cultural fields are also laden with malpractices such as fake licensing, plagiarism and illicit college admissions. Stunning is the recent revelation that Samsung Group, widely regarded as a “super-class” business conglomerate representing Korea, has been implicated in amassing an astronomical amount of slush funds that was allegedly used to bribe the power elite and political parties. Unless the new government manages to successfully root out these structural abuses and scandals that undermine the soundness of our society, it will be bound to face a “crisis of distrust” as the previous administration did.

In this regard, significant symbolic implications can be found in the unprecedented fact that both the president-elect and Samsung, occupying top positions in the nation`s political and economic realms, respectively, are facing investigations by special prosecutors on separate allegations of fraud. The probes disgrace the nation and pain the people, but they should be taken as an opportunity to get rid of ill-advised practices and restore the health of our society.

Relations between North and South Korea are also to be approached in the context of “national advancement” and “pragmatism.” It is the “reality” that the question of establishing a peace order on the Korean peninsula, which represents the Korean people`s ardent yearning and a long-standing international issue as well, should never ? and, for that matter, can never ? be swayed by the ideology or interest of any particular party. In the meantime, there are such outstanding divisive issues as setting forth a new education policy and the proposed construction of a cross-country canal, which are feared to seriously disrupt public opinion unless properly addressed. An attempt by the new administration to forcibly push through its own plans on the controversial issues, in hopes to score tangible results during its five-year tenure, may confuse the nation. Thus required are intensive feasibility studies and opinion surveys regarding the programs.

A reform of the public sector is also important. Restoration of trust in the government and officialdom is prerequisite to reform in all other fields. Whereas the past administrations failed to fulfill reforms because of vulnerability in their legitimacy and power bases, the incoming government is in a better position to carry out the task as it won election by a landslide.

Need for New Political Paradigm

Changes are taking place in the political paradigm. Both conservatives and progressives are in need of breaking from outmoded political frames and seeking new raisons d`etre. The shattered ruling camp, which has now been shifted into the opposition due to its bitter defeat in the presidential election, should take sweeping reform steps with a resolute spirit of pulling down the old structure and building a new house. Sheer utopian slogans and dichotomous logic, which lack concrete plans to tangibly improve the people`s livelihood, can no longer win public support. Meanwhile, the new governing forces ought to reflect on various structural ills left by past conservatives to the country and also duly evaluate the efforts and achievements made by reform-minded progressives that are now set to yield power. Merely reproaching the outgoing government without such self-reflection would be a sheer political populism that runs against pragmatism.

Trials and travails of the last 10 years were necessary to become an advanced country in the vortex of changes in the international situation, remedying malpractices and abuses accumulated under the past “development dictatorship” and “contracted progress” at home. As aptly pointed out by British philosopher Karl Popper, now is the time for “social engineering” to minimize the pains of evils prevailing in society, instead of searching for abstract concepts of ultimate good or happiness. The time demands that, instead of depending on ambiguous expectations without concrete action plans, one strives to plant a new order and value in place of antiquated practices, squarely facing reality and trends. That is a truthful way of achieving “national advancement” and “pragmatism.”