![[Kim Seong-kon] How one can replenish our exhausted political events](https://i2.wp.com/res.heraldm.com/content/image/2024/08/27/20240827050760_0.jpg?w=860&resize=860,0&ssl=1 "[Kim Seong-kon] How one can replenish our exhausted political events")
We Koreans are very pleased with the excellent younger athletes and charming Ok-pop singers who made South Korea internationally well-known. However, we’re not so pleased with our legislators, who’ve critically broken the popularity of our nation within the worldwide group currently. Some political analysts have noticed that the 2 consultant political events of South Korea appear to have exhausted their prospects.
Others have identified that the Korean political events at the moment are affected by a terminal sickness, during which most cancers cells are killing wholesome cells till whole organs cease functioning.
The opposition Democratic Get together of Korea has degenerated into tyranny as a result of it has taken over the Nationwide Meeting by majority and manipulated the administration and the judiciary at will, resulting in a disaster of democracy. The “progressive” celebration has itself grow to be a sheer disappointment, because it acts like a non-public celebration, the only real objective of which is to guard its chief who’s dealing with a number of authorized fees. Persons are additionally dismayed {that a} fanatic group referred to as the “Daughters of Reform” is controlling the celebration from behind the scenes.
The ruling Folks Energy Get together, too, is struggling severe inside illnesses nowadays attributable to skirmishes amongst celebration members who don’t notice that landmines are lurking and lining up on their path. Because of the sharp decline of its reputation, the “conservative” celebration is dealing with a severe dilemma. But, the celebration members busy themselves brawling with each other. Apart from, specialists warn that the time period “conservatism” doesn’t enchantment to younger individuals who discover “progressivism” extra interesting. The conservative Taegukgi rallies solely add to the far-right picture of the celebration.
To be able to survive and thrive, due to this fact, the 2 events needs to be reborn by altering quickly and radically. For instance, the Democratic Get together ought to eliminate the trademark of the celebration of populism, socialism and pseudo-progressivism, and restore its former picture because the really “liberal, democratic celebration.” For that objective, those that are brainwashed by Kim Il-sung’s Juche ideology, Leninism or Marxism mustn’t management the celebration.
Regrettably, nonetheless, these pro-North Korea political activists have rallied below the banner of progressivism and brought over the Democratic Get together. One drawback is that they can not eliminate the specters of the previous. Virtually half a century has handed since they fought towards navy dictators. But, they nonetheless have the delusion of combating a navy dictatorship and thus regard their political opponents as navy dictatorship collaborators.
Again then, they stated they had been combating far-right fascism, and but at the moment they, mockingly, exhibit fascist traits, whilst they go far to the left. The truth is, the far proper and the far left resemble one another in lots of respects. Since they admire Kim Il-sung’s Juche ideology and Leninism, these radical politicians exhibit a pro-North Korea, anti-Japan, anti-US stance.
These excessive left-wing politicians are removed from progressive. They’re infinitely regressive and thus hopelessly obsessive about the previous.
After they seized energy to run the nation, they applied a committee for investigating “the previous” and imprisoned many political enemies below the identify of “collected vices.” Additionally they compiled a “Listing of Professional-Japan Folks in Korea” and consequently broken our relationship with Japan irrevocably. Certainly, they had been vengeful and never sooner or later in any respect. How, then, might they be progressive?
On the alternative facet of the fence, anti-North Korea and pro-US politicians have rallied below the banner of “conservatism.” One drawback, although, is that most of the celebration members critically lack the true spirit of conservatism or republicanism. One other drawback is that the celebration finds it arduous to achieve nationwide help as a result of it’s rooted in a selected province. The Folks Energy Get together ought to overcome regionalism to be able to grow to be a really consultant celebration.
The Folks Energy Get together also needs to shed its label of “conservativism” and boldly embrace the youthful technology. In any other case, younger individuals won’t help the Folks Energy Get together and consequently, it’s prone to maintain dropping the elections sooner or later. Apart from, individuals suspect that politicians within the Folks Energy Get together are merely anti-socialist, anti-North Korea right-wingers, slightly than true advocates of conservatism.
It’s crucial that the Folks Energy Get together slough its outdated pores and skin of conservatism and emerge with a brand new pores and skin of liberal democracy and republicanism.
It also needs to change its marketing campaign slogan from progressivism vs. conservatism to equality vs. liberty; socialism vs. free market economic system. Different doable slogans embody individuals’s democracy vs. liberal democracy; communism vs. capitalism; totalitarianism vs republicanism. The Folks Energy Get together additionally ought to change its picture from an old style, out-of-date celebration to an revolutionary, refreshing celebration for all ages.
We count on to see the rebirth of our political events. Solely then can we be pleased with our legislators.
Kim Seong-kon
Kim Seong-kon is a professor emeritus of English at Seoul Nationwide College and a visiting scholar at Dartmouth School. The views expressed listed here are the author’s personal. — Ed.
