Democracy Cooperation: Interview on Korea's Democratic Experience Shared with the International Community I. Assembly Member Jang Hye-young

YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2UcMC3Ov7s

The East Asia Institute (EAI) interviewed Jang Hye-young, a member of the National Assembly for the Justice Party, on the theme of "Korea's Democratic Experience Shared with the International Community." This interview was produced to examine the success stories and lessons of South Korean democracy. Assembly Member Jang emphasizes that active citizen participation is a crucial factor that has led to the success of democracy.

This interview was conducted as part of the Korean Democracy Storytelling Project, supported by the National Democratic Institute (NDI).

■ Contact and Editing: Yoon Ha-eun, EAI Researcher

    Inquiries: 02 2277 1683 (ext. 208) | hyoon@eai.or.kr EAI Researcher

    Inquiries: 02 2277 1683 (ext. 208) | hyoon@eai.or.kr

Video Transcript

Uh, uh, uh. If I were to define the success of Korean democracy in one sentence, I would say it is a story of finally achieving victory after never giving up the struggle against authoritarianism. The events that occurred on the path of Korea's growth into a modern democratic nation were, in fact, a series of continuous struggles against immense oppression. Immediately, there was the independence from Japanese imperialist colonial rule, and as soon as independence was barely achieved, we experienced the situation of division within international politics, followed by dictatorship. Thus, it was a continuous process where citizens united and fought back against such dictatorships. It was a struggle on the front lines, moving from rule by external forces that exerted great pressure to rule through the sovereignty of the people, which took a considerable amount of time. Finally, in 1987, through institutional democratization, our society clearly established itself as a democratic republic. I believe this was the greatest success.

There are various factors and elements that have driven this, but above all, the persistent efforts of citizens who never gave up fighting together, and even when a struggle failed, citizens reorganized themselves for the next step—sometimes students, sometimes office workers, sometimes professors, or even other socially vulnerable groups—all united with one heart to realize the principle of popular sovereignty. This unwavering pursuit is, I believe, the most significant meaning that allows us to evaluate Korean democracy as a success.

I believe that several judgments that effectively utilized the momentum for Korea's economic growth were crucial in preventing democracy from regressing due to economic growth. While some attribute this solely to the export-oriented manufacturing economy that emerged during certain dictatorial periods, I do not believe it would have been entirely possible without the efforts of the people. There were important strategic decisions, and within those decisions, the people's aspiration to "live well now" and "advance to a developed country" fueled their diligent work, enabling them to overcome national crises together. I believe there was a consciousness of tackling these issues together, not just leaving them to the authorities.

Therefore, economic development, the continuous struggles for democracy, and the broad support from ordinary citizens, in addition to the subjects who led these struggles such as the labor movement, student movement, and women's movement, were all essential. Uh, I believe we must draw lessons from the Gwangju Uprising (5.18). Despite being a significant act of state violence by the military regime that could easily be forgotten, the courage of Jürgen Hentzschel, a German journalist, and the cooperation of citizens allowed this atrocity to be known worldwide. I believe this has brought a very important force of solidarity to South Korea's democracy. Therefore, regarding the regression of democracy occurring in various parts of Asia, I believe extensive cooperation is needed, both at the government level in Korea and especially at the level of civil society and the media, to remain interested and connected, and to avoid isolation.

It is important to create an environment where global citizens can continuously be informed about what is happening and pay attention to it. As Korea has experienced rapid, compressed growth and a dramatic transition to a democratic state in a short period, I believe our National Assembly still needs time to build its capacity to move from being a country that requests aid to a country that actively provides aid and engages in solidarity.

There is not much precedent for this. However, in the 21st National Assembly, for the first time, when a large-scale humanitarian crisis occurred in Afghanistan, all female members of the National Assembly unanimously gathered and issued a declaration stating that the National Assembly of Korea must stand up for the human rights of Afghan women. By accumulating practical actions at the National Assembly level on specific issues, I believe we can build a more robust foundation for international cooperation.

In fact, I tend to speak more about the shortcomings of Korean democracy than its strengths. As I focus more on domestic politics, while Korean democracy has ultimately achieved victory in its struggle against authoritarianism, I would say that the real challenge for Korean democracy lies in whether it is successfully achieving democracy in the daily lives of its citizens. When I entered the National Assembly and gave my first speech on the main floor, I asked a question:

Can our democracy effectively overcome the inequality, discrimination, and climate crisis we are currently facing? Korean politics has long been characterized by a political system dominated by two major parties, despite not being a two-party system. For a long time, politics has been defined by opposition to the other party, leading to a situation where many issues that should be discussed rationally become polarized and cannot undergo sufficient rational deliberation, resulting in a continuous failure to make proper decisions. I believe this is causing various structural instabilities in Korean society. Therefore, to resolve these issues, Korean politics must become more multifaceted, and a platform must be established where diverse opinions can be rationally debated within a multi-party system.

The most symbolic aspect of democracy in life and in everyday life, I believe, is the anti-discrimination law. Although the Constitution of Korea clearly stipulates that all citizens have the right to equality without discrimination, the question remains whether this is being upheld in the daily lives of citizens. Indeed, various forms of discrimination still exist everywhere. Therefore, many countries have enacted equality laws or anti-discrimination laws as basic laws to protect citizens from such discrimination. In Korea, an attempt was first made to enact this law in 2007 when the government prepared a draft. However, due to opposition from some quarters, particularly on grounds of religious reasons regarding discrimination based on sexual orientation, and due to politicians paying excessive attention to these voices, the law has still not been enacted after 14 years.

The right of every citizen to be respected in their dignity in daily life is a fundamental issue of everyday democracy, and I strongly argue that this must be overcome in this National Assembly.